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Tag: Walz

  • Trump administration says it’s freezing child care funds to Minnesota after series of fraud probes

    President Donald Trump’s administration announced on Tuesday that it’s freezing child care funds to Minnesota amid ongoing investigations into fraud allegations. Related video above: Group of Minnesota House and Senate Republicans calling on Gov. Tim Walz to resign over fraud investigationsActing director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Jim O’Neill announced on the social platform X that the step is in response to “blatant fraud that appears to be rampant in Minnesota and across the country.”“We have turned off the money spigot and we are finding the fraud,” he said.O’Neill said all payments through the Administration for Children and Families, an agency within the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, will require “justification and a receipt or photo evidence” before money is sent. They have also launched a fraud-reporting hotline and email address, he said.The announcement comes after years of investigation that began with the $300 million scheme at the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, for which 57 defendants in Minnesota have been convicted. Prosecutors said the organization was at the center of the country’s largest COVID-19-related fraud scam, when defendants exploited a state-run, federally funded program intended to provide food for children.A federal prosecutor alleged earlier in December that half or more of the roughly $18 billion in federal funds that supported 14 programs in Minnesota since 2018 may have been stolen. Most of the defendants are Somali Americans, they said.O’Neill also called out a conservative influencer who had posted a video Friday claiming he found that day care centers operated by Somali residents in Minneapolis had committed up to $100 million in fraud. O’Neill said he has demanded Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz submit an audit of these centers that includes attendance records, licenses, complaints, investigations and inspections.Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, has said fraud will not be tolerated and his administration “will continue to work with federal partners to ensure fraud is stopped and fraudsters are caught.”Walz has said an audit due by late January should give a better picture of the extent of the fraud. He said his administration is taking aggressive action to prevent additional fraud. He has long defended how his administration responded.Minnesota’s most prominent Somali American, Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, has urged people not to blame an entire community for the actions of a relative few.

    WASHINGTON —

    President Donald Trump’s administration announced on Tuesday that it’s freezing child care funds to Minnesota amid ongoing investigations into fraud allegations.

    Related video above: Group of Minnesota House and Senate Republicans calling on Gov. Tim Walz to resign over fraud investigations

    Acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Jim O’Neill announced on the social platform X that the step is in response to “blatant fraud that appears to be rampant in Minnesota and across the country.”

    “We have turned off the money spigot and we are finding the fraud,” he said.

    O’Neill said all payments through the Administration for Children and Families, an agency within the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, will require “justification and a receipt or photo evidence” before money is sent. They have also launched a fraud-reporting hotline and email address, he said.

    The announcement comes after years of investigation that began with the $300 million scheme at the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, for which 57 defendants in Minnesota have been convicted. Prosecutors said the organization was at the center of the country’s largest COVID-19-related fraud scam, when defendants exploited a state-run, federally funded program intended to provide food for children.

    A federal prosecutor alleged earlier in December that half or more of the roughly $18 billion in federal funds that supported 14 programs in Minnesota since 2018 may have been stolen. Most of the defendants are Somali Americans, they said.

    O’Neill also called out a conservative influencer who had posted a video Friday claiming he found that day care centers operated by Somali residents in Minneapolis had committed up to $100 million in fraud. O’Neill said he has demanded Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz submit an audit of these centers that includes attendance records, licenses, complaints, investigations and inspections.

    Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, has said fraud will not be tolerated and his administration “will continue to work with federal partners to ensure fraud is stopped and fraudsters are caught.”

    Walz has said an audit due by late January should give a better picture of the extent of the fraud. He said his administration is taking aggressive action to prevent additional fraud. He has long defended how his administration responded.

    Minnesota’s most prominent Somali American, Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, has urged people not to blame an entire community for the actions of a relative few.

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  • Harris and Trump campaigns appeal to right-leaning, religious voters

    Harris and Trump campaigns appeal to right-leaning, religious voters

    Both the Harris and Trump campaigns are intensifying their efforts in battleground states with just two weeks left until Election Day.Former President Donald Trump will campaign for a second straight day in North Carolina after making his pitch to Christian voters a day prior. He postponed a speech at a gun rights conference in Georgia and scheduled a last-minute rally in the Tar Heel state Tuesday as some polling suggests Harris is gaining support there.In a rally before faith leaders in the battleground state, Trump touched on culture war issues, including transgender and parental rights.”Christians will not be safe with Kamala Harris as president,” Trump warned. “Your religious liberty will be gone. Your free speech will be gone, your Second Amendment will be gone, and parental rights will be gone forever.”Earlier, Trump surveyed storm damage and repeated false claims about FEMA misusing taxpayer money.”They spent a lot of money on having illegal people come into our country,” Trump said.Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris made her pitch to Trump-hesitant voters in three “Blue wall” states Monday.In separate events in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, she campaigned alongside a familiar but unlikely ally, former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, (R) Wyoming. Both aimed their messages at Trump-wary voters in counties that could decide the election.”We might not agree on every issue but she is somebody you can trust,” Cheney said. “You can vote your conscience and never have to say a word to anybody. There will be millions of Republicans who do that on November 5th.”While Harris will not hold public events, she will sit for an interview that will air Tuesday night on NBC Nightly News.In her place, former President Barack Obama and running mate Tim Walz will host a rally in Wisconsin where in-person, early voting kicks off.Republicans are also holding events to encourage early voting in favor of Trump. His campaign is pushing for all forms of voting, including by mail and in-person, to maximize votes. Trump lost Wisconsin by just under 21,000 votes in the 2020 election.

    WASHINGTON —

    Both the Harris and Trump campaigns are intensifying their efforts in battleground states with just two weeks left until Election Day.

    Former President Donald Trump will campaign for a second straight day in North Carolina after making his pitch to Christian voters a day prior. He postponed a speech at a gun rights conference in Georgia and scheduled a last-minute rally in the Tar Heel state Tuesday as some polling suggests Harris is gaining support there.

    In a rally before faith leaders in the battleground state, Trump touched on culture war issues, including transgender and parental rights.

    “Christians will not be safe with Kamala Harris as president,” Trump warned. “Your religious liberty will be gone. Your free speech will be gone, your Second Amendment will be gone, and parental rights will be gone forever.”

    Earlier, Trump surveyed storm damage and repeated false claims about FEMA misusing taxpayer money.

    “They spent a lot of money on having illegal people come into our country,” Trump said.

    Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris made her pitch to Trump-hesitant voters in three “Blue wall” states Monday.

    In separate events in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, she campaigned alongside a familiar but unlikely ally, former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, (R) Wyoming. Both aimed their messages at Trump-wary voters in counties that could decide the election.

    “We might not agree on every issue but she is somebody you can trust,” Cheney said. “You can vote your conscience and never have to say a word to anybody. There will be millions of Republicans who do that on November 5th.”

    While Harris will not hold public events, she will sit for an interview that will air Tuesday night on NBC Nightly News.

    In her place, former President Barack Obama and running mate Tim Walz will host a rally in Wisconsin where in-person, early voting kicks off.

    Republicans are also holding events to encourage early voting in favor of Trump. His campaign is pushing for all forms of voting, including by mail and in-person, to maximize votes. Trump lost Wisconsin by just under 21,000 votes in the 2020 election.

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  • Instant Reactions to the Tim Walz–JD Vance Debate With Semafor’s Benjy Sarlin. Plus: Gabriel Sherman on Writing ‘The Apprentice.’

    Instant Reactions to the Tim Walz–JD Vance Debate With Semafor’s Benjy Sarlin. Plus: Gabriel Sherman on Writing ‘The Apprentice.’

    Hello, media consumers! In a special bonus edition of The Press Box, Bryan has two guests. First, he speaks with Semafor’s Benjy Sarlin for instant reactions to the Tim Walz–JD Vance vice presidential debate. They discuss the following:

    • The biggest surprise of the debate (1:22)
    • Who looked more confident, Tim Walz or JD Vance (9:35)
    • The January 6 exchange (16:40)
    • Whether or not this will be the last debate (26:04)

    Then he speaks with screenwriter Gabriel Sherman about writing The Apprentice, a story about Donald Trump (30:44). He discusses the following about the film:

    • How he went about writing the story (31:10)
    • Trump’s relationship with Roy Cohn (32:36)
    • How Cohn’s rules of winning influenced Trump (37:04)
    • Deciding on Sebastian Stan to play Trump (47:02)

    Hosts: Bryan Curtis
    Guests: Benjy Sarlin and Gabriel Sherman
    Producer: Brian H. Waters

    Subscribe: Spotify / Apple Podcasts

    Bryan Curtis

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  • Tim Walz was a staunch LGBTQ+ ally, long before it was common

    Tim Walz was a staunch LGBTQ+ ally, long before it was common

    In a video intended to help introduce vice presidential nominee Tim Walz to a national audience ahead of his Democratic National Convention speech Wednesday night, a handful of students from his years as a high school teacher sang his praises.

    One called him “jovial,” another “engaging,” another a “big part” of the local community.

    For Jacob Reitan, Walz was the teacher who had his back against bullies during one of the most difficult chapters of his teenage life, when he came out as gay just before his senior year of high school a quarter-century ago, in 1999.

    “When I decided to come out as gay, we started the Gay Straight Alliance,” said Reitan, now a 42-year-old lawyer. “Tim Walz was the faculty advisor.”

    The decision by Democrats — and the presidential campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris — to include Reitan and other references to Walz’s staunch support for LGBTQ+ rights was in some ways an obvious one. Queer voters number in the millions, and a politician having a decades-long record of support would be seen by many of them — and many other liberals — as a positive thing.

    Still, the decision was a defiant one, too — a doubling-down on the Democratic ticket’s queer allyship at a time when Republicans are pushing an anti-LGBTQ+ agenda, hammering Walz on his legislative record supporting queer rights, and suggesting he is too progressive for the average American voter.

    In one characteristic barb, former President Trump recently criticized Walz as being “very heavy into transgender.”

    In interviews with The Times, LGBTQ+ former students of Walz said his support embodies his simple commitment to fairness and kindness, and against bullying and injustice.

    When Walz took the DNC stage Wednesday night, he struck many similar notes.

    “That family down the road — they may not think like you do, they may not pray like you do, they may not love like you do, but they’re your neighbors, and you look out for them and they look out for you,” Walz said. “Everybody belongs.”

    Reitan said in an interview that Walz and his wife, Gwen — also a popular teacher at Mankato West High School in Mankato, Minn. — had been flagged to him as LGBTQ+ allies when he was a younger student. He had Gwen Walz as an English teacher and recalled her telling him and his classmates on the first day of instruction that her classroom was a “safe space” for gay students.

    Later, Reitan was being bullied at school and decided to form the Gay Straight Alliance, not just for him but for future LGBTQ+ students at the school. The principal recommended Walz as the faculty advisor, and Reitan said he immediately recognized the significance of having the backing of the school’s football coach. Gwen Walz’s support also was invaluable.

    “The concept of Tim being the advisor was a product of both their support, but also the optics of it,” Reitan said.

    That the Walzes were willing to step up as they did — especially at “a different time for gay people that was not easy” — showed “the character that they have as individuals,” Reitan said.

    “They were a gift to the students at West High School. They’ve been a gift to the state of Minnesota,” he said. “And I’m thrilled that the nation is getting the chance to know them both.”

    Since picking Walz as her running mate, Harris has seemed happy to highlight his queer-friendly past, and his advising of the Gay Straight Alliance.

    “At a time when acceptance was difficult to find for LGBTQ students, Tim knew the signal that it would send to have a football coach get involved,” Harris said at one campaign rally, to raucous applause. “And as students have said, he made the school a safe place for everybody.”

    In her own video Wednesday night, Gwen Walz talked about her husband teaching for 15 years, helping lead the school’s football team to a state championship, and teaching students “that we’re all in this together.”

    She said that he agreed to be the Gay Straight Alliance advisor “because he knew how impactful it would be to have a football coach involved,” and that he “inspired his students” and “changed lives.”

    After Walz was elected to Congress in 2006, he continued his LGBTQ+ allyship — supporting the right to same-sex marriage, which wasn’t affirmed nationally until a Supreme Court ruling in 2015, and calling for the repeal of the federal “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which forced gay and lesbian service members to hide their sexuality or face removal from the U.S. military.

    Walz continued to support queer rights as governor. He signed an executive order protecting transgender people’s access to gender-affirming healthcare in Minnesota. He also signed two significant laws: One bans debunked conversion therapy practices aimed at changing or suppressing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity; the other protects transgender people and their families from out-of-state subpoenas, arrest warrants and extradition requests related to their receiving gender-affirming care in Minnesota.

    At a California delegation breakfast at the DNC on Wednesday, Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang praised Walz as “a person who has been there for LGBTQ youth since the ‘90s,” and said he and Harris deserve LGBTQ+ people’s votes.

    Seth Elliott Meyer, 38, who is queer, is another former student of Walz. By the time he got to Mankato West, his sister and brother had already had Walz as a teacher and coach, and he’d heard all about how great Walz was. But he wasn’t sold.

    “I’d heard his reputation as a hunter and a coach and a social studies teacher, and I thought, wow, that doesn’t sound like my kind of guy at all,” Meyer said in an interview, with a laugh. As “a combative, punk rock 14-year-old,” hunting and football just weren’t his things.

    It wasn’t until Meyer had Walz as his history teacher his junior year, in 2002 and 2003, that he realized what all the hype was about, he said — when Walz “won me over with his rampant niceness and fairness.”

    “He was one of those teachers who wanted to make everyone feel included and involved and valid,” Meyer said.

    Meyer tries to remember those lessons today, he said, including when he’s advising his own students at the Atlanta school where he now teaches — and serves as the Gay Straight Alliance advisor.

    Times staff writer Seema Mehta contributed to this report.

    Kevin Rector

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  • DNC Day 3: Tim Walz accepts party vice presidential nomination, Bill Clinton tears into Trump

    DNC Day 3: Tim Walz accepts party vice presidential nomination, Bill Clinton tears into Trump

    The Democratic National Convention’s third night is underway.After receiving the blessing of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, the focus on the second to last day of the DNC shifts to Kamala Harris’ vice presidential running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. The former school teacher and football coach accepted the Democratic nomination as the party makes the case that Americans’ fundamental freedoms are at risk if Donald Trump returns to the White House.According to convention organizers, the theme for Wednesday’s events is “A fight for our freedoms,” a message that has become the centerpiece of Harris’ campaign as the Democrat has sought to paint a second Trump presidency as a threat to Americans’ ability to make choices about their own lives. Read live updates from Day 3 of the DNC below. Tim Walz speaks at DNC, accepts party vice presidential nominationGov. Tim Walz officially accepted the Democratic Party’s vice presidential nomination on Wednesday.He used his Democratic National Convention address to thank the packed arena for “bringing the joy” to an election transformed by the elevation of his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris.“We’re all here tonight for one simple, beautiful reason: We love this country,” Walz said.Walz had been working on his DNC speech for about a week, according to a person familiar with the matter, and has made edits in recent days to make it sound more authentic to his voice.Walz also practiced using a teleprompter for the first time since he was selected as Harris’ running mate as he was looking to use the speech to introduce himself to the American people. John Legend and Sheila E. go crazyJohn Legend and Sheila E. celebrated Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz with a rendition of son-of-the-state Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” at the Democratic convention.Legend started at the piano and the onetime Prince collaborator Sheila E. started at her signature standing percussion set before each grabbed a mic and rocked with a band at the center of the stage, tearing through the purple tune for an audience of blue delegates.Walz has gushed about the music of Minnesota, expressing his affection for Bob Dylan, the Replacements, Hüsker Dü and Prince, who died in 2016.Legend told The Associated Press before the convention, “I’m trying to do what I can to help protect our democracy and have someone with a really positive vision for the future elected. And I think Kamala is the right person.”He added, “I’m so excited that she’s infused so much energy into the campaign and that young people and so many people that I think felt concerned that they had to pick between two choices they weren’t excited about.”Buttigieg reflects on progress for American LGBTQ+ familiesButtigieg marveled at the pace of change in the country for LGBTQ+ families, saying it was “impossible” for him to believe 25 years ago that, as a gay man, he could be married with two children.“This kind of life went from impossible to possible — from possible to real — from real to almost ordinary, in less than half a lifetime,” he told the Democratic National Convention. He said it came about because of “the right kind of politics” and encouraged Americans to “choose a better politics. One of hope, of promise, of freedom, of trust. This is what Kamala Harris and Tim Walz represent.”Buttigieg: ‘At least Mike Pence was polite!’Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is taking shots at Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, saying, “At least Mike Pence was polite!” Speaking at the Democratic National Convention, Buttigieg, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2020, said, “JD Vance is one of those guys who thinks if you don’t live the life he has in mind for you, then you don’t count.”Buttigieg said Trump’s selection of Vance shows he’s “doubling down on negativity and grievance. A concept of campaigning best summed up in one word: darkness. Darkness is what they are selling.”Oprah directs part of her remarks at independent and undecided votersOprah Winfrey returned to the DNC stage on Wednesday night. Winfrey delivered a famous endorsement to then-Sen. Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign.The legendary talk show host, on Wednesday, encouraged voters to vote for Kamala Harris and said she was “fired up” about the election after listening to speeches on Wednesday by former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. Without actually saying his name, Oprah Winfrey, at multiple points, made no-so-subtle jabs at Trump while also trying to appeal to independent and undecided voters.“We are beyond ridiculous tweets and lies and foolery,” she said of Trump, before referencing a recent comment he made to supporters about only having to vote once more — for him — and never again.”There’s a certain candidate that says if we just go to the polls this one time, we’ll never have to do it again,” Winfrey later said. ” Well, you know what? You’re looking at a registered independent who is proud to vote again and again and again because I’m an American and that’s what Americans do. Voting is the best of America.”Winfrey said she has “always voted my values,” and specifically called on independent and undecided voters to do the same. Winfrey, who long hosted her signature talk show from Chicago, also picked up on one of Democrats’ favorite themes of late, scoffing at Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance having once derided “childless cat ladies” as he argued that Americans should be having more children.Winfrey said that if a burning house belonged to a “childless cat lady,” neighbors would still help and “try to get that cat out too.”Poet Amanda Gorman recites original work ‘The Sacred Scene’“A people that cannot stand together cannot stand at all,” poet Amanda Gorman declared from the Democratic convention stage as she recited an original piece of verse penned for the occasion, “This Sacred Scene.”“While we all love freedom, it is love that frees us all,” Gorman’s poem said. “Empathy emancipates, making us greater than hate or vanity, that is the American promise powerful and pure.”The 26-year-old earned rare national fame for a modern poet when she read another poem she wrote, “The Hill We Climb,” at the inauguration of President Joe Biden 3 ½ years ago.Gov. Josh Shapiro takes the stagePennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was among Harris’ finalists to be her running mate, is speaking ahead of Walz Wednesday night after the convention rejiggered its schedule. Shapiro says, “We are the party of real freedom,” criticizing Republicans for trying to undermine elections and roll back abortion access.Democrats veer from their prepared scheduleDemocrats appear to be ditching their prepared schedule, passing over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and adding former Harris staffer Lateefah Simon, now an Oakland congressional candidate, and the vice president’s brother-in-law Tony West to talk about Harris’s biography.It remains to be seen if the convention will cut additional speakers to avoid running well over time like it did on Monday night when President Joe Biden’s address was pushed past 11:30 p.m. Eastern time.‘Uncommitted’ delegates say officials denied their request for a Palestinian to address the conventionDelegates of the “uncommitted” movement, which was sparked by dissatisfaction with President Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, announced to reporters at the DNC late Wednesday that officials denied their request for a Palestinian to speak during the convention.The group of 36 delegates have outsized influence as they stem from pivotal battleground states like Michigan.“I have asked for the vice president to call us back and tell us that the suppression of Palestinian Americans does not belong in the Democratic party and a Palestinian speaker will speak on this stage,” Uncommitted National Movement co-founder Abbas Alawieh said. “I’m waiting for the call.”The development comes shortly after the parents of an American who is being kept hostage in Gaza by Hamas spoke at the DNC, urging the release of the hostages and the need for a cease-fire.Pelosi recalls Jan. 6The rest of Pelosi’s time on stage has focused on the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, where many rioters were targeting the then-speaker and, when they couldn’t find her, ended up trashing her congressional office.“The parable of January 6 reminds us that our democracy is only as strong as the courage and commitment of those entrusted with its care,” she said, adding that America must choose leaders who believe in free and fair elections. “The choice couldn’t be clearer. Those leaders are Vice President Harris and Governor Walz.”Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi greeted at the DNC with a standing ovationPelosi, who has been seen as the architect behind Biden’s decision to step down as the nominee, spoke about the president’s achievements before quickly pivoting to the woman who stood by him for the last three and a half years.“Personally, I know her as a person of deep faith, reflected in her community, care and service,” the California Democrat said.Clinton says Trump is fighting for ‘me, myself and I’He told the Democratic convention: “The next time you hear him, don’t count the lies — count the I’s.” Adding some corny humor, Clinton said, “He’s like one of those tenors opening up before he walks out on stage trying to get his lungs open by saying: me, me, me, me. When Kamala Harris is president, every day will begin with you, you, you.”Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and first daughter Chelsea Clinton watched from the arena was the former president spoke.Former Secretary of State and former First Lady Hillary Clinton, who once secured the Democratic nomination for president in a race against Donald Trump, spoke on the convention’s stage on Monday.Clinton’s a fan of the Golden ArchesClinton is emphasizing Harris’ time working at McDonald’s to emphasize that she’s working to help people like them.“When she was a student, she worked at McDonald’s,” Clinton said. “She greeted every person with that thousand-watt smile and said, ‘How can I help you?’ And now, she’s at the pinnacle of power, she’s still asking ‘How can I help you?’”Clinton added: “I’ll be so happy when she actually enters the White House because, at last, she’ll break my record as the president who has spent the most time at McDonald’s.”Former President Donald Trump is also a frequent consumer of the golden arches’ food.Former President Clinton returns to the DNCFormer President Bill Clinton said President Joe Biden has, like George Washington, enhanced his legacy by deciding to leave office. Praising Biden at the start of his Democratic National Convention speech, Clinton said of Biden, “He healed our sick and put the rest of us back to work.”Clinton, who left office more than 23 years ago, also cracked jokes about former President Donald Trump’s age — and his own.“I actually turned 78 two days ago,” Clinton said. “The only personal vanity I want to assert is that I’m still younger than Donald Trump.”He did not mention that Biden, 81, is older than both of them.Clinton, the nation’s 42nd president and a veteran of his party’s political convention going back decades, drew a contrast between Harris and Trump.“In 2024, we got a pretty clear choice, it seems to me: Kamala Harris for The People, and the other guy who’s proved even more than the first go around that he’s about me, myself and I,” Clinton said. “I know which one like better for our country.” Hakeem Jeffries casts Trump as ‘an old boyfriend’ who ‘won’t go away’House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries began his speech Wednesday night with a nod to President Biden, saying he would go down as one of the “most consequential presidents of all time.” But Jeffries, who if Democrats win back the House in November would become the first Black speaker, quickly pivoted to the new nominee, saying Harris is a “courageous leader, a compassionate leader and common-sense leader.”Jeffries then spoke on Trump, saying the former president is like “an old boyfriend who you broke up with, but he just won’t go away.”“He has spent the last four years spinning around the block, trying to get back into a relationship with the American people,” the New York Democrat said. “Bro, we broke up with you for a reason.”Mindy Kaling steps in to host as the DNC enters prime timeMindy Kaling is the celebrity host of the prime-time hours of night three of the Democratic convention, and she touted her ties to Vice President Kamala Harris as she introduced herself.“For those of you who don’t know me I am an incredibly famous Gen Z actress who you might recognize from “The Office,” “The Mindy Project” or as the woman who courageously outed Kamala Harris as Indian in an Instagram cooking video,” Kaling said.The actor, comedian and screenwriter from Massachusetts is the daughter of immigrants from India, and she and Harris made masala dosa together in a video four years ago.Democrats keep hammering Republicans about Project 2025Project 2025, the policy document that some conservatives had hoped would serve as a blueprint for a future Trump administration, keeps getting lots of camera time at the Democratic convention.On Wednesday, it was comedian Kenan Thompson who toted the book on stage.“Ever seen a document that can kill a small animal and democracy at the same time? Here it is,” said Thompson, a Saturday Night Live star, who got his start on the Nickelodeon kids comedy show “All That.”Trump and his campaign have repeatedly sought to distance themselves from Project 2025. But the document, which is hundreds of pages long and written by Trump allies and officials in his administration, has continued to dog him.And Democrats aren’t about to stop.Among the proposals included in the document are far more stringent abortion restrictions. The authors also want to dramatically downsize the federal government and give the president the authority to replace tens of thousands of workers with loyalists.“Everything we just talked about is very real. It is in this book,” Thompson said.“You can stop it from ever happening by electing Kamala Harris,” he concluded.Kenan Thompson pokes fun at Project 2025 Comedian Kenan Thompson brought back the huge “Project 2025” tome as he introduced a bit talking to various Americans who would be impacted by the book’s policies. “You ever see a document that can kill a small animal and democracy at the same time?” he said.But as he began, tech issues prevented Thompson from going through with the bit with a Nevada delegate named Matt. After several seconds of trying to fix the problem, Thompson moved on to the next delegate, saying, “Sorry, Matt!” and the bit continued.Stevie Wonder performs ‘Higher Ground’Stevie Wonder used his keyboard as a podium on the stage of the Democratic convention, giving a brief speech before breaking into “Higher Ground.”“We must choose courage over complacency, it is time to get UP! And go vote.”He asked the audience, “Are y’all ready to reach a higher ground? Because you know we need Kamala Harris.”The 74-year-old musical luminary then broke into his 1973 classic from the album “Innervisions,” accompanied by a DJ and dancers clad in white.Wonder also sang at the 2008 convention in Denver that brought the nomination of Barack Obama.Former Jan. 6 committee chairman says Trump ‘would rather subvert democracy than submit to it’Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., spoke Wednesday night about the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The former chairman of the Jan. 6 committee warned at the convention “about going back to the dark history,” of political violence and racial segregation. “They wanted to stop the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in American history,” he said. “Thank God they failed.”Thompson warned of what would happen if Trump would once again lose and refuse to accept the results of the election. “He would rather subvert democracy than submit to it. Now he’s plotting to do it again,” he added.Georgia’s former lieutenant governor urges fellow Republicans to ‘dump Trump’Geoff Duncan, the former Republican lieutenant governor of Georgia, is eliciting a raucous response from Democrats in the convention hall as he lays into Donald Trump.“Our party is not civil and conservative. It’s chaotic and crazy,” he said of Republicans before urging others to “dump Trump.”Addressing his fellow Republicans, Duncan said, “If you vote for Kamala Harris in 2024 you’re not a Democrat, you’re a patriot.”Another former Trump White House official backs HarrisA former Trump administration White House official said she made the right decision when she quit her job.Olivia Troye told the Democratic National Convention that being in Trump’s White House was “terrifying” but what truly keeps her up at night is the possibility of the former president reclaiming the office.Troye said the traditional values that she says made her a Republican growing up are the same values that have led her to support Harris for president.Turning to her fellow Republicans, she said a vote for Harris is not a vote for a Democrat but rather a vote for democracy. ‘This is a vision for America that Donald Trump will never understand,’ congressman says on stageRep. Pete Aguilar, the highest-ranking Latino in Congress, said that Trump is a threat to the values his immigrant family grew up with in Southern California.“Only Kamala Harris and Tim Walls will protect the American dream so that every family can earn a living, own a home, and reach their full potential,” Aguilar said. “This is a vision for America that Donald Trump will never understand. All he knows is chaos and division.” Democrats turn their attention to the borderRep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, who served as a surrogate to the then-Biden campaign, kicked off what will be a series of speeches Wednesday night focused on immigration and security at the U.S. border with Mexico.Video below: Hear some of Escobar’s remarks After a video played showing Republican opposition to a bipartisan border deal earlier this year, Sen. Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut took the stage. Murphy was the top Democrat negotiating the proposal with conservative senators.“I just want to let you know that everything you just saw in that video, that’s exactly what happened,” Murphy said. “It would have had unanimous support if it weren’t for Donald Trump.”Singer Maren Morris performs ‘Better Than We Found It’Singer Maren Morris brought her plea for progress “Better Than We Found It” to the convention.The Grammy winner from Arlington, Texas, has been leaning more toward pop recently but struck a decidedly country tone on the stage at the United Center.“God save us all from ourselves and the hell that we’ve built for our kids,” she sang. “America, America, We’re better than this.” The song was released in 2020 in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and was viewed as an implicit rejection of former President Trump’s rhetoric.Morris has been a vocal supporter of liberal causes and has publicly sparred with other country music figures on issues including trans rights.She’s also set to be among the performers at a 100th birthday celebration for former President Jimmy Carter next month. Also expected onstage are music icon Stevie Wonder and legendary talk show host Oprah Winfrey, who gave a critical endorsement of then-Sen. Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. Poet Amanda Gorman was also set to take the stage.Family of hostage in Gaza calls for a cease-fire and hostage releaseJon Polin thanked Biden and Harris for their work trying to secure a cease-fire and hostage release deal in Gaza. Acknowledging the “agony” of civilians in Gaza as well, he said, “In a competition of pain there are no winners” and called for a swift agreement to free the hostages and stop the fighting in Gaza.Rep. Ilhan Omar, who has been a staunch critic of Israel as it has responded to the Oct. 7 attack, was seen at the convention clapping as the parents of the Israeli hostage spoke about the need to not only bring back hostages but to end the “civilian suffering” in Gaza.Halie Soifer, the head of the Jewish Democratic Council of America and former national security advisor to Harris when she was senator, said in a statement Wednesday after the Polins’ speech that “Jewish Americans are proud to stand with Vice President Harris because she stands with us on every issue, including strong support of the US-Israel relationship.”The parents of an American hostage in Gaza receive a standing ovationSen. Cory Booker of New Jersey introduced his constituents, Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who has been held hostage in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023.They were among the family members of six American hostages in attendance in Chicago to raise awareness about their family members’ plight.Polin and Goldberg-Polin, wearing a notation that it’s been 320 days since their son was taken captive, received a standing ovation from conventiongoers, who chanted “Bring them home.”While the Polins spoke, the camera cut to the various people in the room who were shedding tears for the parents.It comes after Ronen and Orna Neutra, the parents of Omer Neutra, were given a speaking slot at the Republican National Convention last month. After Hersh’s mother talked about her son’s love of travel, geography, music and music festivals, she described the events of Oct. 7 and the injuries her son sustained before being taken hostage.As he spoke, Hersh’s father told listeners that while he was speaking at the DNC, he doesn’t think releasing the hostages should be a matter of politics.“This is a political convention, but needing our only son and all of the cherished hostages home, is not a political issue,” he said. “It is a humanitarian issue.”“In a competition of pain there are no winners,” Polin added.Both Polin and Goldberg-Polin spoke of the other hostages and hostage families.In an emotional moment, Goldberg-Polin closed the speech with a message for her son.“Hersh, if you can hear us, we love you. Stay strong. Survive,” she said.A record number of DNC delegates identify as LGBTQ+According to the Human Rights Campaign, over 800 DNC delegates identify as LGBTQ+ — a record — and over 50 identify as trans or nonbinary. During her speech, Dana Nessel, Michigan’s attorney general and an openly gay woman, spoke about LGBTQ+ rights. In addition to other remarks, Nessel declared, “I got a message for the Republicans and the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court: You can pry this wedding band from my cold, dead, gay hand.”Voters reminded to pay attention to Congressional races in addition to presidential raceDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair Rep. Suzan DelBene told party faithful it’s not enough to win the White House.“A Democratic Congress is how we turn promises into progress,” she says, which would enable Harris and Walz to enact their policy agenda. Democrats only need to pick up a handful of seats to retake the majority in the House from Republicans.Wasserman Schultz talks about the repercussions of the Dobbs decisionFlorida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who was also bumped from the program on Monday, is getting a chance to address the convention Wednesday night.The former DNC chair is using her remarks to highlight the story of a Florida woman who, because of the state’s restrictions on abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, was forced to carry to term a child with a fatal illness, only to watch the newborn die just hours after birth.“This is Project 2025 in practice,” she says. “It’s what Donald Trump and JD Vance want for the whole country.”The big book is back as Democrats again take aim at Project 2025Prop-politics is back as Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is taking a page from an oversized printed copy of the conservative Project 2025, saying he wants to share it with undecided voters. Polis says the plan would jeopardize IVF and only values heterosexual couples where the man holds a job. Project 2025 was developed by Trump supporters but has been formally disavowed by the GOP nominee.Minnesota connections abound ahead of Walz’s DNC speechIt’s Walz’s night at the DNC, and there are lots of touchstones to the Minnesota governor sprinkled throughout the programming.Harris-Walz campaign officials note that elementary students from Moreland Arts & Health Sciences Magnet School in St. Paul, Minnesota, were tasked with leading the Pledge of Allegiance. According to the campaign, those students benefited from the free breakfast and lunch program that Walz signed into law as Minnesota governor.Also, the campaign says the national anthem was sung by Jess Davis, a mathematics teacher selected as Minnesota’s teacher of the year in 2019.Congressman compares Democrats’ immigration stances with that of RepublicansNew York Rep. Tom Suozzi is implicitly contrasting Democrats’ stance on immigration with Republicans.The Republican convention last month was dominated by calls to shut down the southern border and ratchet down admissions to the U.S. And though Republicans say they don’t oppose immigration — only those who enter the country illegally — Trump also tightly limited immigration during his presidency.Souzzi pointed out that the U.S. has long been a nation of immigrants, including his own relatives who came from Italy.“To be a nation of immigrants is hard,” he said. “You have to work for it.”Democrats appeal to former Trump votersThere are more videos of former Trump supporters no longer backing the GOP nominee being played at the DNC.It’s a theme to which convention programming has been returning throughout the week, perhaps aimed at other former Trump backers now looking for a new political home.Harris’ campaign, and Biden’s before that, has been angling to attract Republican support heading into what’s anticipated to be a tight general election campaign.Abortion-rights advocates praise HarrisReproductive justice leaders took the DNC stage to applaud Harris’ long history as an abortion rights advocate.Mini Timmaraju, president of the national reproductive rights group Reproductive Freedom for All, highlighted states where abortion rights will be on the ballot this year, including Arizona and Montana — the latest states where voters will be able to decide in November whether they want to protect the right to an abortion in their state constitutions.“The people will get to have their say this November,” she said.Alexis McGill Johnson, CEO and president of Planned Parenthood, told the stories of a Georgia woman who drove to South Carolina for abortion care but arrived the day the state’s six-week ban went into effect, of Texas doctors who have sent patients “to wait in hospital parking lots rather than provide the emergency care they need,” and of Idaho hospitals airlifting patients to other states.“We cannot call ourselves a free nation when women are not free,” she said. Oprah Winfrey will make DNC appearanceannot call ourselves a free nation when women are not free,” she said.Talk show legend Oprah Winfrey will appear at the DNC on Wednesday night, according to a person familiar with the schedule who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal plans.Winfrey delivered a famous endorsement to then-Sen. Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign. It’s not yet clear whether she will endorse Harris, who is vying to become the first Black woman elected president. Day 3 of the DNC has begunThe third day of the convention has officially been gaveled in by Sen. Corey Booker of New Jersey. Day 3 speakers and performersMini Timmaraju, President and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for AllAlexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action FundCecile Richards, reproductive rights activistKelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights CampaignJessica Mackler, president of EMILYs ListMaría Teresa Kumar, Founding President and CEO of Voto LatinoU.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi of New YorkSen. Cory BookerAftab Pureval, mayor of Cincinnati, OhioCavalier Johnson, mayor of Milwaukee, WisconsinRashawn Spivey and Deanna Branch, lead pipe removal advocatesU.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester of DelawareU.S. Rep. Grace Meng of New YorkGov. Jared Polis of ColoradoU.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of FloridaSuzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Keith Ellison, Attorney General of Minnesota Dana Nessel, Attorney General of MichiganJon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, the parents of Hersh Goldberg-PolinMaren Morris (performance)U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar of TexasU.S. Sen. Chris Murphy of ConnecticutJavier Salazar, sheriff of Bexar County, TexasPete Aguilar, chair of the House Democratic CaucusCarlos Eduardo Espina, content creatorOlivia Troye, a former Trump administration national security officialGeoff Duncan, the former Lieutenant Governor of GeorgiaU.S. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson of MississippiSgt. Aquilino Gonell, retired U.S. Capitol police officerU.S. Rep. Andy Kim of New JerseyOlivia Julianna, content creatorStevie Wonder (performance)Kenan Thompson and Guests on Project 2025Mindy KalingU.S. House of Representatives Democratic Leader Hakeem JeffriesFormer President Bill ClintonSpeaker Emerita of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy PelosiPennsylvania Gov. Josh ShapiroAlexander HudlinJasper EmhoffArden EmhoffU.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of NevadaAmanda Gorman, National Youth Poet Laureate (performance)Gov. Wes Moore of MarylandU.S. Transportation Secretary Pete ButtigiegJohn Legend (performance)Sheila E. (performance)Sen. Amy Klobuchar of MinnesotaBenjamin C. Ingman, a former student of Gov. WalzTim Walz, the governor of Minnesota

    CHICAGO —

    The Democratic National Convention’s third night is underway.

    After receiving the blessing of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, the focus on the second to last day of the DNC shifts to Kamala Harris’ vice presidential running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. The former school teacher and football coach accepted the Democratic nomination as the party makes the case that Americans’ fundamental freedoms are at risk if Donald Trump returns to the White House.

    According to convention organizers, the theme for Wednesday’s events is “A fight for our freedoms,” a message that has become the centerpiece of Harris’ campaign as the Democrat has sought to paint a second Trump presidency as a threat to Americans’ ability to make choices about their own lives.

    Read live updates from Day 3 of the DNC below.

    Tim Walz speaks at DNC, accepts party vice presidential nomination

    Gov. Tim Walz officially accepted the Democratic Party’s vice presidential nomination on Wednesday.

    He used his Democratic National Convention address to thank the packed arena for “bringing the joy” to an election transformed by the elevation of his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris.

    “We’re all here tonight for one simple, beautiful reason: We love this country,” Walz said.

    Walz had been working on his DNC speech for about a week, according to a person familiar with the matter, and has made edits in recent days to make it sound more authentic to his voice.

    Walz also practiced using a teleprompter for the first time since he was selected as Harris’ running mate as he was looking to use the speech to introduce himself to the American people.

    John Legend and Sheila E. go crazy

    John Legend and Sheila E. celebrated Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz with a rendition of son-of-the-state Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” at the Democratic convention.

    Legend started at the piano and the onetime Prince collaborator Sheila E. started at her signature standing percussion set before each grabbed a mic and rocked with a band at the center of the stage, tearing through the purple tune for an audience of blue delegates.

    Walz has gushed about the music of Minnesota, expressing his affection for Bob Dylan, the Replacements, Hüsker Dü and Prince, who died in 2016.

    Legend told The Associated Press before the convention, “I’m trying to do what I can to help protect our democracy and have someone with a really positive vision for the future elected. And I think Kamala is the right person.”

    He added, “I’m so excited that she’s infused so much energy into the campaign and that young people and so many people that I think felt concerned that they had to pick between two choices they weren’t excited about.”

    Buttigieg reflects on progress for American LGBTQ+ families

    Buttigieg marveled at the pace of change in the country for LGBTQ+ families, saying it was “impossible” for him to believe 25 years ago that, as a gay man, he could be married with two children.

    “This kind of life went from impossible to possible — from possible to real — from real to almost ordinary, in less than half a lifetime,” he told the Democratic National Convention. He said it came about because of “the right kind of politics” and encouraged Americans to “choose a better politics. One of hope, of promise, of freedom, of trust. This is what Kamala Harris and Tim Walz represent.”

    Buttigieg: ‘At least Mike Pence was polite!’

    Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is taking shots at Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, saying, “At least Mike Pence was polite!” Speaking at the Democratic National Convention, Buttigieg, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2020, said, “JD Vance is one of those guys who thinks if you don’t live the life he has in mind for you, then you don’t count.”

    Buttigieg said Trump’s selection of Vance shows he’s “doubling down on negativity and grievance. A concept of campaigning best summed up in one word: darkness. Darkness is what they are selling.”

    Oprah directs part of her remarks at independent and undecided voters

    Oprah Winfrey returned to the DNC stage on Wednesday night. Winfrey delivered a famous endorsement to then-Sen. Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign.

    The legendary talk show host, on Wednesday, encouraged voters to vote for Kamala Harris and said she was “fired up” about the election after listening to speeches on Wednesday by former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama.

    Without actually saying his name, Oprah Winfrey, at multiple points, made no-so-subtle jabs at Trump while also trying to appeal to independent and undecided voters.

    “We are beyond ridiculous tweets and lies and foolery,” she said of Trump, before referencing a recent comment he made to supporters about only having to vote once more — for him — and never again.

    “There’s a certain candidate that says if we just go to the polls this one time, we’ll never have to do it again,” Winfrey later said. ” Well, you know what? You’re looking at a registered independent who is proud to vote again and again and again because I’m an American and that’s what Americans do. Voting is the best of America.”

    Winfrey said she has “always voted my values,” and specifically called on independent and undecided voters to do the same.

    Winfrey, who long hosted her signature talk show from Chicago, also picked up on one of Democrats’ favorite themes of late, scoffing at Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance having once derided “childless cat ladies” as he argued that Americans should be having more children.

    Winfrey said that if a burning house belonged to a “childless cat lady,” neighbors would still help and “try to get that cat out too.”

    Poet Amanda Gorman recites original work ‘The Sacred Scene’

    “A people that cannot stand together cannot stand at all,” poet Amanda Gorman declared from the Democratic convention stage as she recited an original piece of verse penned for the occasion, “This Sacred Scene.”

    “While we all love freedom, it is love that frees us all,” Gorman’s poem said. “Empathy emancipates, making us greater than hate or vanity, that is the American promise powerful and pure.”

    The 26-year-old earned rare national fame for a modern poet when she read another poem she wrote, “The Hill We Climb,” at the inauguration of President Joe Biden 3 ½ years ago.

    Gov. Josh Shapiro takes the stage

    Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who was among Harris’ finalists to be her running mate, is speaking ahead of Walz Wednesday night after the convention rejiggered its schedule. Shapiro says, “We are the party of real freedom,” criticizing Republicans for trying to undermine elections and roll back abortion access.

    Democrats veer from their prepared schedule

    Democrats appear to be ditching their prepared schedule, passing over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and adding former Harris staffer Lateefah Simon, now an Oakland congressional candidate, and the vice president’s brother-in-law Tony West to talk about Harris’s biography.

    It remains to be seen if the convention will cut additional speakers to avoid running well over time like it did on Monday night when President Joe Biden’s address was pushed past 11:30 p.m. Eastern time.

    ‘Uncommitted’ delegates say officials denied their request for a Palestinian to address the convention

    Delegates of the “uncommitted” movement, which was sparked by dissatisfaction with President Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, announced to reporters at the DNC late Wednesday that officials denied their request for a Palestinian to speak during the convention.

    The group of 36 delegates have outsized influence as they stem from pivotal battleground states like Michigan.

    “I have asked for the vice president to call us back and tell us that the suppression of Palestinian Americans does not belong in the Democratic party and a Palestinian speaker will speak on this stage,” Uncommitted National Movement co-founder Abbas Alawieh said. “I’m waiting for the call.”

    The development comes shortly after the parents of an American who is being kept hostage in Gaza by Hamas spoke at the DNC, urging the release of the hostages and the need for a cease-fire.

    Pelosi recalls Jan. 6

    The rest of Pelosi’s time on stage has focused on the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, where many rioters were targeting the then-speaker and, when they couldn’t find her, ended up trashing her congressional office.

    “The parable of January 6 reminds us that our democracy is only as strong as the courage and commitment of those entrusted with its care,” she said, adding that America must choose leaders who believe in free and fair elections. “The choice couldn’t be clearer. Those leaders are Vice President Harris and Governor Walz.”

    Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi greeted at the DNC with a standing ovation

    Pelosi, who has been seen as the architect behind Biden’s decision to step down as the nominee, spoke about the president’s achievements before quickly pivoting to the woman who stood by him for the last three and a half years.

    “Personally, I know her as a person of deep faith, reflected in her community, care and service,” the California Democrat said.

    Clinton says Trump is fighting for ‘me, myself and I’

    He told the Democratic convention: “The next time you hear him, don’t count the lies — count the I’s.” Adding some corny humor, Clinton said, “He’s like one of those tenors opening up before he walks out on stage trying to get his lungs open by saying: me, me, me, me. When Kamala Harris is president, every day will begin with you, you, you.”

    Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and first daughter Chelsea Clinton watched from the arena was the former president spoke.

    Former Secretary of State and former First Lady Hillary Clinton, who once secured the Democratic nomination for president in a race against Donald Trump, spoke on the convention’s stage on Monday.

    Clinton’s a fan of the Golden Arches

    Clinton is emphasizing Harris’ time working at McDonald’s to emphasize that she’s working to help people like them.

    “When she was a student, she worked at McDonald’s,” Clinton said. “She greeted every person with that thousand-watt smile and said, ‘How can I help you?’ And now, she’s at the pinnacle of power, she’s still asking ‘How can I help you?’”

    Clinton added: “I’ll be so happy when she actually enters the White House because, at last, she’ll break my record as the president who has spent the most time at McDonald’s.”

    Former President Donald Trump is also a frequent consumer of the golden arches’ food.

    Former President Clinton returns to the DNC

    Former President Bill Clinton said President Joe Biden has, like George Washington, enhanced his legacy by deciding to leave office. Praising Biden at the start of his Democratic National Convention speech, Clinton said of Biden, “He healed our sick and put the rest of us back to work.”

    Clinton, who left office more than 23 years ago, also cracked jokes about former President Donald Trump’s age — and his own.

    “I actually turned 78 two days ago,” Clinton said. “The only personal vanity I want to assert is that I’m still younger than Donald Trump.”

    He did not mention that Biden, 81, is older than both of them.

    Clinton, the nation’s 42nd president and a veteran of his party’s political convention going back decades, drew a contrast between Harris and Trump.

    “In 2024, we got a pretty clear choice, it seems to me: Kamala Harris for The People, and the other guy who’s proved even more than the first go around that he’s about me, myself and I,” Clinton said. “I know which one like better for our country.”

    Hakeem Jeffries casts Trump as ‘an old boyfriend’ who ‘won’t go away’

    House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries began his speech Wednesday night with a nod to President Biden, saying he would go down as one of the “most consequential presidents of all time.” But Jeffries, who if Democrats win back the House in November would become the first Black speaker, quickly pivoted to the new nominee, saying Harris is a “courageous leader, a compassionate leader and common-sense leader.”

    Jeffries then spoke on Trump, saying the former president is like “an old boyfriend who you broke up with, but he just won’t go away.”

    “He has spent the last four years spinning around the block, trying to get back into a relationship with the American people,” the New York Democrat said. “Bro, we broke up with you for a reason.”

    Mindy Kaling steps in to host as the DNC enters prime time

    Mindy Kaling is the celebrity host of the prime-time hours of night three of the Democratic convention, and she touted her ties to Vice President Kamala Harris as she introduced herself.

    “For those of you who don’t know me I am an incredibly famous Gen Z actress who you might recognize from “The Office,” “The Mindy Project” or as the woman who courageously outed Kamala Harris as Indian in an Instagram cooking video,” Kaling said.

    The actor, comedian and screenwriter from Massachusetts is the daughter of immigrants from India, and she and Harris made masala dosa together in a video four years ago.

    Democrats keep hammering Republicans about Project 2025

    Project 2025, the policy document that some conservatives had hoped would serve as a blueprint for a future Trump administration, keeps getting lots of camera time at the Democratic convention.

    On Wednesday, it was comedian Kenan Thompson who toted the book on stage.

    “Ever seen a document that can kill a small animal and democracy at the same time? Here it is,” said Thompson, a Saturday Night Live star, who got his start on the Nickelodeon kids comedy show “All That.”

    Trump and his campaign have repeatedly sought to distance themselves from Project 2025. But the document, which is hundreds of pages long and written by Trump allies and officials in his administration, has continued to dog him.

    And Democrats aren’t about to stop.

    Among the proposals included in the document are far more stringent abortion restrictions. The authors also want to dramatically downsize the federal government and give the president the authority to replace tens of thousands of workers with loyalists.

    “Everything we just talked about is very real. It is in this book,” Thompson said.

    “You can stop it from ever happening by electing Kamala Harris,” he concluded.

    Kenan Thompson pokes fun at Project 2025

    Comedian Kenan Thompson brought back the huge “Project 2025” tome as he introduced a bit talking to various Americans who would be impacted by the book’s policies. “You ever see a document that can kill a small animal and democracy at the same time?” he said.

    But as he began, tech issues prevented Thompson from going through with the bit with a Nevada delegate named Matt. After several seconds of trying to fix the problem, Thompson moved on to the next delegate, saying, “Sorry, Matt!” and the bit continued.

    Stevie Wonder performs ‘Higher Ground’

    Stevie Wonder used his keyboard as a podium on the stage of the Democratic convention, giving a brief speech before breaking into “Higher Ground.”

    “We must choose courage over complacency, it is time to get UP! And go vote.”

    He asked the audience, “Are y’all ready to reach a higher ground? Because you know we need Kamala Harris.”

    The 74-year-old musical luminary then broke into his 1973 classic from the album “Innervisions,” accompanied by a DJ and dancers clad in white.

    Wonder also sang at the 2008 convention in Denver that brought the nomination of Barack Obama.

    Former Jan. 6 committee chairman says Trump ‘would rather subvert democracy than submit to it’

    Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., spoke Wednesday night about the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The former chairman of the Jan. 6 committee warned at the convention “about going back to the dark history,” of political violence and racial segregation. “They wanted to stop the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in American history,” he said. “Thank God they failed.”

    Thompson warned of what would happen if Trump would once again lose and refuse to accept the results of the election. “He would rather subvert democracy than submit to it. Now he’s plotting to do it again,” he added.

    Georgia’s former lieutenant governor urges fellow Republicans to ‘dump Trump’

    Geoff Duncan, the former Republican lieutenant governor of Georgia, is eliciting a raucous response from Democrats in the convention hall as he lays into Donald Trump.

    “Our party is not civil and conservative. It’s chaotic and crazy,” he said of Republicans before urging others to “dump Trump.”

    Addressing his fellow Republicans, Duncan said, “If you vote for Kamala Harris in 2024 you’re not a Democrat, you’re a patriot.”

    Another former Trump White House official backs Harris

    A former Trump administration White House official said she made the right decision when she quit her job.

    Olivia Troye told the Democratic National Convention that being in Trump’s White House was “terrifying” but what truly keeps her up at night is the possibility of the former president reclaiming the office.

    Troye said the traditional values that she says made her a Republican growing up are the same values that have led her to support Harris for president.

    Turning to her fellow Republicans, she said a vote for Harris is not a vote for a Democrat but rather a vote for democracy.

    ‘This is a vision for America that Donald Trump will never understand,’ congressman says on stage

    Rep. Pete Aguilar, the highest-ranking Latino in Congress, said that Trump is a threat to the values his immigrant family grew up with in Southern California.

    “Only Kamala Harris and Tim Walls will protect the American dream so that every family can earn a living, own a home, and reach their full potential,” Aguilar said. “This is a vision for America that Donald Trump will never understand. All he knows is chaos and division.”

    Democrats turn their attention to the border

    Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, who served as a surrogate to the then-Biden campaign, kicked off what will be a series of speeches Wednesday night focused on immigration and security at the U.S. border with Mexico.

    Video below: Hear some of Escobar’s remarks

    After a video played showing Republican opposition to a bipartisan border deal earlier this year, Sen. Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut took the stage. Murphy was the top Democrat negotiating the proposal with conservative senators.

    “I just want to let you know that everything you just saw in that video, that’s exactly what happened,” Murphy said. “It would have had unanimous support if it weren’t for Donald Trump.”

    Singer Maren Morris performs ‘Better Than We Found It’

    Singer Maren Morris brought her plea for progress “Better Than We Found It” to the convention.

    The Grammy winner from Arlington, Texas, has been leaning more toward pop recently but struck a decidedly country tone on the stage at the United Center.

    “God save us all from ourselves and the hell that we’ve built for our kids,” she sang. “America, America, We’re better than this.” The song was released in 2020 in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and was viewed as an implicit rejection of former President Trump’s rhetoric.

    Morris has been a vocal supporter of liberal causes and has publicly sparred with other country music figures on issues including trans rights.

    She’s also set to be among the performers at a 100th birthday celebration for former President Jimmy Carter next month.

    Also expected onstage are music icon Stevie Wonder and legendary talk show host Oprah Winfrey, who gave a critical endorsement of then-Sen. Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. Poet Amanda Gorman was also set to take the stage.

    Family of hostage in Gaza calls for a cease-fire and hostage release

    Jon Polin thanked Biden and Harris for their work trying to secure a cease-fire and hostage release deal in Gaza. Acknowledging the “agony” of civilians in Gaza as well, he said, “In a competition of pain there are no winners” and called for a swift agreement to free the hostages and stop the fighting in Gaza.

    Rep. Ilhan Omar, who has been a staunch critic of Israel as it has responded to the Oct. 7 attack, was seen at the convention clapping as the parents of the Israeli hostage spoke about the need to not only bring back hostages but to end the “civilian suffering” in Gaza.

    Halie Soifer, the head of the Jewish Democratic Council of America and former national security advisor to Harris when she was senator, said in a statement Wednesday after the Polins’ speech that “Jewish Americans are proud to stand with Vice President Harris because she stands with us on every issue, including strong support of the US-Israel relationship.”

    The parents of an American hostage in Gaza receive a standing ovation

    Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey introduced his constituents, Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who has been held hostage in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023.

    They were among the family members of six American hostages in attendance in Chicago to raise awareness about their family members’ plight.

    Polin and Goldberg-Polin, wearing a notation that it’s been 320 days since their son was taken captive, received a standing ovation from conventiongoers, who chanted “Bring them home.”

    While the Polins spoke, the camera cut to the various people in the room who were shedding tears for the parents.

    It comes after Ronen and Orna Neutra, the parents of Omer Neutra, were given a speaking slot at the Republican National Convention last month.

    After Hersh’s mother talked about her son’s love of travel, geography, music and music festivals, she described the events of Oct. 7 and the injuries her son sustained before being taken hostage.

    As he spoke, Hersh’s father told listeners that while he was speaking at the DNC, he doesn’t think releasing the hostages should be a matter of politics.

    “This is a political convention, but needing our only son and all of the cherished hostages home, is not a political issue,” he said. “It is a humanitarian issue.”

    “In a competition of pain there are no winners,” Polin added.

    Both Polin and Goldberg-Polin spoke of the other hostages and hostage families.

    In an emotional moment, Goldberg-Polin closed the speech with a message for her son.
    “Hersh, if you can hear us, we love you. Stay strong. Survive,” she said.

    A record number of DNC delegates identify as LGBTQ+

    According to the Human Rights Campaign, over 800 DNC delegates identify as LGBTQ+ — a record — and over 50 identify as trans or nonbinary.

    During her speech, Dana Nessel, Michigan’s attorney general and an openly gay woman, spoke about LGBTQ+ rights. In addition to other remarks, Nessel declared, “I got a message for the Republicans and the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court: You can pry this wedding band from my cold, dead, gay hand.”

    Voters reminded to pay attention to Congressional races in addition to presidential race

    Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair Rep. Suzan DelBene told party faithful it’s not enough to win the White House.

    “A Democratic Congress is how we turn promises into progress,” she says, which would enable Harris and Walz to enact their policy agenda. Democrats only need to pick up a handful of seats to retake the majority in the House from Republicans.

    Wasserman Schultz talks about the repercussions of the Dobbs decision

    Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who was also bumped from the program on Monday, is getting a chance to address the convention Wednesday night.

    The former DNC chair is using her remarks to highlight the story of a Florida woman who, because of the state’s restrictions on abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, was forced to carry to term a child with a fatal illness, only to watch the newborn die just hours after birth.

    “This is Project 2025 in practice,” she says. “It’s what Donald Trump and JD Vance want for the whole country.”

    The big book is back as Democrats again take aim at Project 2025

    Prop-politics is back as Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is taking a page from an oversized printed copy of the conservative Project 2025, saying he wants to share it with undecided voters. Polis says the plan would jeopardize IVF and only values heterosexual couples where the man holds a job. Project 2025 was developed by Trump supporters but has been formally disavowed by the GOP nominee.

    Minnesota connections abound ahead of Walz’s DNC speech

    It’s Walz’s night at the DNC, and there are lots of touchstones to the Minnesota governor sprinkled throughout the programming.

    Harris-Walz campaign officials note that elementary students from Moreland Arts & Health Sciences Magnet School in St. Paul, Minnesota, were tasked with leading the Pledge of Allegiance. According to the campaign, those students benefited from the free breakfast and lunch program that Walz signed into law as Minnesota governor.

    Also, the campaign says the national anthem was sung by Jess Davis, a mathematics teacher selected as Minnesota’s teacher of the year in 2019.

    Congressman compares Democrats’ immigration stances with that of Republicans

    New York Rep. Tom Suozzi is implicitly contrasting Democrats’ stance on immigration with Republicans.

    The Republican convention last month was dominated by calls to shut down the southern border and ratchet down admissions to the U.S. And though Republicans say they don’t oppose immigration — only those who enter the country illegally — Trump also tightly limited immigration during his presidency.

    Souzzi pointed out that the U.S. has long been a nation of immigrants, including his own relatives who came from Italy.

    “To be a nation of immigrants is hard,” he said. “You have to work for it.”

    Democrats appeal to former Trump voters

    There are more videos of former Trump supporters no longer backing the GOP nominee being played at the DNC.

    It’s a theme to which convention programming has been returning throughout the week, perhaps aimed at other former Trump backers now looking for a new political home.

    Harris’ campaign, and Biden’s before that, has been angling to attract Republican support heading into what’s anticipated to be a tight general election campaign.

    Abortion-rights advocates praise Harris

    Reproductive justice leaders took the DNC stage to applaud Harris’ long history as an abortion rights advocate.

    Mini Timmaraju, president of the national reproductive rights group Reproductive Freedom for All, highlighted states where abortion rights will be on the ballot this year, including Arizona and Montana — the latest states where voters will be able to decide in November whether they want to protect the right to an abortion in their state constitutions.

    “The people will get to have their say this November,” she said.

    Alexis McGill Johnson, CEO and president of Planned Parenthood, told the stories of a Georgia woman who drove to South Carolina for abortion care but arrived the day the state’s six-week ban went into effect, of Texas doctors who have sent patients “to wait in hospital parking lots rather than provide the emergency care they need,” and of Idaho hospitals airlifting patients to other states.

    “We cannot call ourselves a free nation when women are not free,” she said.

    Oprah Winfrey will make DNC appearanceannot call ourselves a free nation when women are not free,” she said.

    Talk show legend Oprah Winfrey will appear at the DNC on Wednesday night, according to a person familiar with the schedule who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal plans.

    Winfrey delivered a famous endorsement to then-Sen. Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign. It’s not yet clear whether she will endorse Harris, who is vying to become the first Black woman elected president.

    Day 3 of the DNC has begun

    The third day of the convention has officially been gaveled in by Sen. Corey Booker of New Jersey.

    Day 3 speakers and performers

    • Mini Timmaraju, President and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All
    • Alexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund
    • Cecile Richards, reproductive rights activist
    • Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign
    • Jessica Mackler, president of EMILYs List
    • María Teresa Kumar, Founding President and CEO of Voto Latino
    • U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York
    • Sen. Cory Booker
    • Aftab Pureval, mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio
    • Cavalier Johnson, mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
    • Rashawn Spivey and Deanna Branch, lead pipe removal advocates
    • U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware
    • U.S. Rep. Grace Meng of New York
    • Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado
    • U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida
    • Suzan DelBene, chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
    • Keith Ellison, Attorney General of Minnesota
    • Dana Nessel, Attorney General of Michigan
    • Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin
    • Maren Morris (performance)
    • U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas
    • U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut
    • Javier Salazar, sheriff of Bexar County, Texas
    • Pete Aguilar, chair of the House Democratic Caucus
    • Carlos Eduardo Espina, content creator
    • Olivia Troye, a former Trump administration national security official
    • Geoff Duncan, the former Lieutenant Governor of Georgia
    • U.S. Rep. Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi
    • Sgt. Aquilino Gonell, retired U.S. Capitol police officer
    • U.S. Rep. Andy Kim of New Jersey
    • Olivia Julianna, content creator
    • Stevie Wonder (performance)
    • Kenan Thompson and Guests on Project 2025
    • Mindy Kaling
    • U.S. House of Representatives Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries
    • Former President Bill Clinton
    • Speaker Emerita of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi
    • Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro
    • Alexander Hudlin
    • Jasper Emhoff
    • Arden Emhoff
    • U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada
    • Amanda Gorman, National Youth Poet Laureate (performance)
    • Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland
    • U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
    • John Legend (performance)
    • Sheila E. (performance)
    • Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota
    • Benjamin C. Ingman, a former student of Gov. Walz
    • Tim Walz, the governor of Minnesota

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  • DNC Day 2: Delegates nominate Harris in ceremonial roll call; Obamas to deliver primetime speeches

    DNC Day 2: Delegates nominate Harris in ceremonial roll call; Obamas to deliver primetime speeches

    The Democratic National Convention heads into its second day Tuesday.Former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama and second gentleman Doug Emhoff will speak at the DNC, a day after the unofficial farewell for President Joe Biden, who served eight years as Obama’s vice president. Biden won’t be in the hall to see his former running mate speak, as he departed Chicago Monday after delivering his own speech.With President Biden having addressed delegates, the week’s full focus now turns to Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov Tim Walz.Read live updates from Day 2 of the DNC below.Harris makes surprise video appearance as roll call wrapsIt was never really in doubt, but after the celebratory roll call, Rea confirmed Harris’ nomination as Democrats’ top-of-the-ticket pick. Harris was officially nominated earlier this month in a virtual roll call of delegates.Following the roll call, Rea tossed to incoming video from Harris’ and Walz’s campaign appearance in Milwaukee, where the two are on stage in the same arena that hosted Republicans last month for their convention. They entered the stage to Beyoncé’s “Freedom,” which has become an anthem for the campaign.“I thank everyone there and here for believing in what we can do together,” Harris said.That split screen moment created a powerful visual for Harris: two arenas simultaneously full of her supporters.Green Bay Packers shoutout met with boos in ChicagoWhen Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers took his turn at the mic during Democrats roll call vote Tuesday, he name-checked the Green Bay Packers football team.That did not sit well in Chicago, the DNC’s host city, where utterances of support for the Packers are often taken as fighting words by long-suffering Chicago Bears fans.Evers was showered with boos after name-checking the Packers.In their long-running Midwestern rivalry, the Packers routinely best the Bears, winning 107 games to the Bears’ 95.Delegates nominate Harris, WalzDelegates from all 50 states have voted to make Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz the Democratic presidential ticket in a ceremonial roll call.Harris to talk about Roe v. Wade in MilwaukeeHarris plans to draw attention to Trump saying Monday he had “no regrets” about appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade and ended the constitutional right to abortion, according to an excerpt of the speech she plans to give in Milwaukee.“That’s because he hasn’t had to face the consequences,” Harris plans to say. “Women and families have. Well, we will make sure he does face the consequence at the ballot box this November.”As they awaited Harris’ speech, her supporters listened to the Chicago convention’s roll call blasting from the arena speakers.Video below: Hadley Duvall speaks about abortion rights at DNCThe odd coupleThey may be a somewhat unlikely pair, but DNC Secretary Jason Rae and DJ Cassidy are tag-teaming the celebratory roll call of states.Rae calls out the states and territories as they come up in the voting order, and Cassidy chimes in with occasional commentary as he flips from track to track for each batch of delegates.Why California and Minnesota passed during the roll callCalifornia and Minnesota, the home states of Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, have passed during the convention roll call — letting the party roll on.This year’s roll call has been unlike any in political history. But one tradition held, the one mandating that the home state of the nominee generally passes, then goes near the end to pass the deciding vote to formally clinch the nomination.This year, Minnesota, where Walz is governor, could get the count close and let Harris’ California and its motherlode of delegates put her over the top as the Democratic nominee.Sean Astin joins Indiana delegationActor Sean Astin, best known for playing the titular Notre Dame football player in “Rudy,” joined the Indiana delegation to help cast its 86 delegates for Harris and Walz.“I want what’s best for Indiana and that means electing Kamala Harris the first woman president of the United States of America,” Astin said. Delegates show off their home-state tunesDecked out in blue satin, DJ Cassidy is spinning a special song for each state in the roll call at the Democratic Convention.Alabama, obviously, got “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Alaska announced their backing of Vice President Harris to “Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man, a band from Wasilla. Florida committed its delegates to “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty, who was born in Gainesville. The rapper Lil Jon appeared over the music of DJ Snake’s “Turn Down for What” ahead of Georgia awarding its delegates to Harris.Lil Jon makes a surprise appearance during Harris roll callIn a surprise appearance, rapper Lil Jon joined the Georgia delegation to help deliver its 123 votes for Harris. The rapper’s hit song ‘Get Low’ has became a sort of rally cry for the Harris-Walz campaign in the last few weeks.‘Present’Under Democratic Party rules, only Harris garnered enough signatures to be entered into nomination. Votes for any other person or uncommitted votes were tallied as “present” during the virtual roll call earlier this month. Tuesday night’s “celebratory” vote is following that earlier’s roll calls vote total.The roll call beginsDemocrats are holding a “celebratory” roll call vote to nominate Harris on the second night of their convention in Chicago. The party held a virtual vote on Aug. 6 that made her the party’s official nominee. Tuesday’s vote is taking place with a DJ and light show in the United Center arena.Teamsters members make DNC appearance absent President Sean O’BrienWhile Teamsters President Sean O’Brien chose to speak at the Republican convention at Trump’s invite, members of his union decided to appear at the Democratic convention to say they’re with Vice President Harris. It was another jab at Trump for claiming to back workers even as his administration tried to restrict the power of organized labor, a sign of how Harris hopes to diminish his backing from blue-collar voters.“If they win, working people like my friends here from the Teamsters will pay the price,” said Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., with several Teamsters by his side.Kenneth Stribling, a retired Teamster, then explained how the Biden administration had helped rescue the financially troubled pensions of union members like himself as part of its pandemic aid.“They got it done without one single Republican vote in Congress,” Stribling said. “They saved over 1 million pensions.”Democrats highlight former Trump voters who switched to supporting HarrisFor the second in as many nights, the Democratic convention has frequently featured stories from ordinary voters, who talked about voting for Trump in 2016 or 2020 or both, but said they wouldn’t do so again.The voters, filmed in what to be in their homes in states around the country, described being fed up with Trump’s criminal conviction, his frequent lying for political gain and his leading a mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol in January 2021.The effort recalled Republicans, who during their convention featured frequent videos of “everyday Americans” to fire up their own crowd last month in Milwaukee.Trump’s former press secretary backs HarrisTrump’s former White House press secretary says she used to be a “true believer” who spent holidays with the Trump family, but now she’s backing Harris.Stephanie Grisham told Democratic delegates that Trump “mocks” his supporters behind closed doors and “has no empathy, no morals and no fidelity to the truth.”This fall, Grisham said she’s backing Harris because the Democrat “tells the truth, she respects the American people and she has my vote.”Grisham resigned from her White House post following the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, the first senior staffer to do so that day.She held no press briefings as Trump’s press secretary, explaining “unlike my boss, I never wanted to stand behind that podium and lie.”Common feels ‘fortunate’ to have Kamala HarrisRapper Common performed his hit song “Fortunate.” In the second verse, he changed the lyrics to say, “Fortunate, yo, we got the gold in Paris, we fortunate, y’all, for Kamala Harris.” The Chicago native also added in several ad-libs about “Chi Town” as the host city of the DNC.“I thank God for this moment in time where Kamala Harris will change the world for the better with love, hope and grace,” he said as he introduced the song. Grammy-winning gospel singer Jonathan McReynolds joined Common on stage, singing some of his song “God is God” between verses and vocalizing to “Fortunate.”Common, a Grammy and Oscar-winning musician and actor, is no stranger to political advocacy. He endorsed Biden in 2020 and performed at his rallies and had previously supported Obama’s campaigns. He also performed poetry at an event at the White House in 2011 at Obama’s invitation.The performance, which was followed by a funky instrumental rendition of “Tell Me Something Good,” signaled the convention’s shift out of its country music moment Monday into a focus on R&B and hip-hop.Democrats throw the book at Trump (again)One of Democrats’ favorite new political props, a massive book labeled Project 2025, made a repeat appearance at the second night of the DNC.On Tuesday, Malcolm Kenyatta, a Pennsylvania state representative and rising Democratic star, totted the book out onto the convention stage before roasting Trump and his running mate Sen. JD Vance.“Usually Republicans want to ban books, but now they are trying to shove this down our throats,” Kenyatta said.In a sign of how unpopular Project 20205 is with the public, Trump has disavowed the effort. Still, it was crafted by many leading conservatives who would likely hold influential positions in a future Trump administration.The book made its first appearance on Monday when Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow walked on stage and dropped the hefty tome on the top of the speaking lectern.Presidential grandsons stump for HarrisGrandsons of former Presidents Jimmy Carter and John F. Kennedy cast Vice President Haris in the same image as their famous family members.“Kamala Harris carries my grandfather’s legacy,” said Jason Carter. “She knows what is right.”He said the 99-year-old former president wishes he could be in attendance. “His body may be weak tonight, but his spirit is stronger than ever,” Carter said. “My grandfather can’t wait to vote for Kamala Harris.”Jack Schlossberg, Kennedy’s grandson, said like when his grandfather was elected in 1960, “Once again, the torch has been passed to a new generation,” he said. “She believes in America like my grandfather did — that we do things not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”Patti LaBelle performs ‘You Are My Friend’The DNC crowd didn’t get James Taylor singing “You’ve Got a Friend” but they did get another music legend — R&B star Patti LaBelle — singing “You Are My Friend.”LaBelle sang the stirring number during a memorial segment as the proceedings began for the evening. “God bless America, Kamala Harris!” she called out at the end.This isn’t the first time at the DNC for LaBelle — she wowed the crowd two decades ago at the 2004 convention with her rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.”Last month, LaBelle kicked off her 8065 Tour at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles — “80 years of life, 65 years in music.” And in June, she sang “Oh, People” on the White House lawn for President Joe Biden’s Juneteenth concert, joined by Gladys Knight among other artists.Day 2 of the DNC has begunThe second day of the convention has officially been gaveled in.Obama will make the case for Harris during his DNC addressFormer President Barack Obama will use his remarks tonight to make the case for Harris’ election and lay out the task before Democrats in the coming 10 weeks.That’s according to an Obama aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss his speech in advance. Obama will also make the case for the values of the party and nation he believes are at stake in the race against Trump.The speech comes as Obama plans to increase his political activity this fall to support Democrats up and down the ticket. No credible danger following bomb threat, Secret Service and Chicago PD reportThe U.S. Secret Service and Chicago Police Department found no credible dangers after checking into bomb threats made Tuesday at “a number of locations” in downtown Chicago where the Democratic National Convention is taking place.Law enforcement cleared the affected areas and are continuing to assess any reported threats.Day 2 speakers:Jason Carter, grandson of former President Jimmy CarterJack Schlossberg, grandson of former President John F. KennedyState Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, of PennsylvaniaKyle Sweetser, former Trump voterStephanie Grisham, former Trump White House press secretaryNabela Noor, content creatorSen. Gary Peters, of MichiganKenneth Stribling, retired TeamsterAna Navarro, television personality and political strategist Sen. Chuck Schumer, of New YorkSen. Bernie Sanders, of VermontGov. JB Pritzker, of IllinoisKen Chenault, business executiveGov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, of New MexicoAngela Alsobrooks, U.S. Senate nominee in MarylandMayor John Giles, of Mesa, ArizonaDouglas Emhoff, second gentleman of the United StatesMichelle Obama, former first lady of the United StatesFormer President Barack Obama

    CHICAGO —

    The Democratic National Convention heads into its second day Tuesday.

    Former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama and second gentleman Doug Emhoff will speak at the DNC, a day after the unofficial farewell for President Joe Biden, who served eight years as Obama’s vice president. Biden won’t be in the hall to see his former running mate speak, as he departed Chicago Monday after delivering his own speech.

    With President Biden having addressed delegates, the week’s full focus now turns to Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov Tim Walz.

    Read live updates from Day 2 of the DNC below.

    Harris makes surprise video appearance as roll call wraps

    It was never really in doubt, but after the celebratory roll call, Rea confirmed Harris’ nomination as Democrats’ top-of-the-ticket pick. Harris was officially nominated earlier this month in a virtual roll call of delegates.

    Following the roll call, Rea tossed to incoming video from Harris’ and Walz’s campaign appearance in Milwaukee, where the two are on stage in the same arena that hosted Republicans last month for their convention. They entered the stage to Beyoncé’s “Freedom,” which has become an anthem for the campaign.

    “I thank everyone there and here for believing in what we can do together,” Harris said.

    That split screen moment created a powerful visual for Harris: two arenas simultaneously full of her supporters.

    Green Bay Packers shoutout met with boos in Chicago

    When Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers took his turn at the mic during Democrats roll call vote Tuesday, he name-checked the Green Bay Packers football team.

    That did not sit well in Chicago, the DNC’s host city, where utterances of support for the Packers are often taken as fighting words by long-suffering Chicago Bears fans.

    CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images

    Wisconsin delegates cast their vote during the ceremonial roll call vote on the second day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on Aug. 20, 2024.

    Evers was showered with boos after name-checking the Packers.

    In their long-running Midwestern rivalry, the Packers routinely best the Bears, winning 107 games to the Bears’ 95.

    Delegates nominate Harris, Walz

    Delegates from all 50 states have voted to make Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz the Democratic presidential ticket in a ceremonial roll call.

    Harris to talk about Roe v. Wade in Milwaukee

    Harris plans to draw attention to Trump saying Monday he had “no regrets” about appointing the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade and ended the constitutional right to abortion, according to an excerpt of the speech she plans to give in Milwaukee.

    “That’s because he hasn’t had to face the consequences,” Harris plans to say. “Women and families have. Well, we will make sure he does face the consequence at the ballot box this November.”

    As they awaited Harris’ speech, her supporters listened to the Chicago convention’s roll call blasting from the arena speakers.

    Video below: Hadley Duvall speaks about abortion rights at DNC

    The odd couple

    They may be a somewhat unlikely pair, but DNC Secretary Jason Rae and DJ Cassidy are tag-teaming the celebratory roll call of states.

    Rae calls out the states and territories as they come up in the voting order, and Cassidy chimes in with occasional commentary as he flips from track to track for each batch of delegates.

    Why California and Minnesota passed during the roll call

    California and Minnesota, the home states of Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, have passed during the convention roll call — letting the party roll on.

    This year’s roll call has been unlike any in political history. But one tradition held, the one mandating that the home state of the nominee generally passes, then goes near the end to pass the deciding vote to formally clinch the nomination.

    This year, Minnesota, where Walz is governor, could get the count close and let Harris’ California and its motherlode of delegates put her over the top as the Democratic nominee.

    Sean Astin joins Indiana delegation

    Actor Sean Astin, best known for playing the titular Notre Dame football player in “Rudy,” joined the Indiana delegation to help cast its 86 delegates for Harris and Walz.

    “I want what’s best for Indiana and that means electing Kamala Harris the first woman president of the United States of America,” Astin said.

    Delegates show off their home-state tunes

    Decked out in blue satin, DJ Cassidy is spinning a special song for each state in the roll call at the Democratic Convention.

    Alabama, obviously, got “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Alaska announced their backing of Vice President Harris to “Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man, a band from Wasilla. Florida committed its delegates to “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty, who was born in Gainesville. The rapper Lil Jon appeared over the music of DJ Snake’s “Turn Down for What” ahead of Georgia awarding its delegates to Harris.

    Lil Jon makes a surprise appearance during Harris roll call

    In a surprise appearance, rapper Lil Jon joined the Georgia delegation to help deliver its 123 votes for Harris. The rapper’s hit song ‘Get Low’ has became a sort of rally cry for the Harris-Walz campaign in the last few weeks.

    CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 20: Rapper Lil Jon (R) performs with the Georgia delegation during the Ceremonial Roll Call of States on the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 20, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Delegates, politicians, and Democratic Party supporters are gathering in Chicago, as current Vice President Kamala Harris is named her party's presidential nominee. The DNC takes place from August 19-22. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

    Chip Somodevilla

    Rapper Lil Jon (R) performs with the Georgia delegation during the Ceremonial Roll Call of States on the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois.

    ‘Present’

    Under Democratic Party rules, only Harris garnered enough signatures to be entered into nomination. Votes for any other person or uncommitted votes were tallied as “present” during the virtual roll call earlier this month. Tuesday night’s “celebratory” vote is following that earlier’s roll calls vote total.

    The roll call begins

    Democrats are holding a “celebratory” roll call vote to nominate Harris on the second night of their convention in Chicago. The party held a virtual vote on Aug. 6 that made her the party’s official nominee. Tuesday’s vote is taking place with a DJ and light show in the United Center arena.

    Teamsters members make DNC appearance absent President Sean O’Brien

    While Teamsters President Sean O’Brien chose to speak at the Republican convention at Trump’s invite, members of his union decided to appear at the Democratic convention to say they’re with Vice President Harris. It was another jab at Trump for claiming to back workers even as his administration tried to restrict the power of organized labor, a sign of how Harris hopes to diminish his backing from blue-collar voters.

    “If they win, working people like my friends here from the Teamsters will pay the price,” said Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., with several Teamsters by his side.

    US Senator from Michigan Gary Peters (L) speaks alongside retired teamsters on the second day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 20, 2024. Vice President Kamala Harris will formally accept the party's nomination for president at the DNC which runs from August 19-22 in Chicago. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

    (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

    US Senator from Michigan Gary Peters (L) speaks alongside retired teamsters on the second day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on Aug. 20, 2024.

    Kenneth Stribling, a retired Teamster, then explained how the Biden administration had helped rescue the financially troubled pensions of union members like himself as part of its pandemic aid.

    “They got it done without one single Republican vote in Congress,” Stribling said. “They saved over 1 million pensions.”

    Democrats highlight former Trump voters who switched to supporting Harris

    For the second in as many nights, the Democratic convention has frequently featured stories from ordinary voters, who talked about voting for Trump in 2016 or 2020 or both, but said they wouldn’t do so again.

    The voters, filmed in what to be in their homes in states around the country, described being fed up with Trump’s criminal conviction, his frequent lying for political gain and his leading a mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol in January 2021.

    The effort recalled Republicans, who during their convention featured frequent videos of “everyday Americans” to fire up their own crowd last month in Milwaukee.

    Trump’s former press secretary backs Harris

    Trump’s former White House press secretary says she used to be a “true believer” who spent holidays with the Trump family, but now she’s backing Harris.

    Stephanie Grisham told Democratic delegates that Trump “mocks” his supporters behind closed doors and “has no empathy, no morals and no fidelity to the truth.”

    This fall, Grisham said she’s backing Harris because the Democrat “tells the truth, she respects the American people and she has my vote.”

    CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 20: Former Trump White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham speaks on stage during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 20, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Delegates, politicians, and Democratic Party supporters are gathering in Chicago, as current Vice President Kamala Harris is named her party's presidential nominee. The DNC takes place from August 19-22. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

    Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

    Former Trump White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham speaks on stage during the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 20, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois.

    Grisham resigned from her White House post following the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, the first senior staffer to do so that day.

    She held no press briefings as Trump’s press secretary, explaining “unlike my boss, I never wanted to stand behind that podium and lie.”

    Common feels ‘fortunate’ to have Kamala Harris

    Rapper Common performed his hit song “Fortunate.” In the second verse, he changed the lyrics to say, “Fortunate, yo, we got the gold in Paris, we fortunate, y’all, for Kamala Harris.” The Chicago native also added in several ad-libs about “Chi Town” as the host city of the DNC.

    “I thank God for this moment in time where Kamala Harris will change the world for the better with love, hope and grace,” he said as he introduced the song. Grammy-winning gospel singer Jonathan McReynolds joined Common on stage, singing some of his song “God is God” between verses and vocalizing to “Fortunate.”

    Common, a Grammy and Oscar-winning musician and actor, is no stranger to political advocacy. He endorsed Biden in 2020 and performed at his rallies and had previously supported Obama’s campaigns. He also performed poetry at an event at the White House in 2011 at Obama’s invitation.

    The performance, which was followed by a funky instrumental rendition of “Tell Me Something Good,” signaled the convention’s shift out of its country music moment Monday into a focus on R&B and hip-hop.

    Democrats throw the book at Trump (again)

    One of Democrats’ favorite new political props, a massive book labeled Project 2025, made a repeat appearance at the second night of the DNC.

    On Tuesday, Malcolm Kenyatta, a Pennsylvania state representative and rising Democratic star, totted the book out onto the convention stage before roasting Trump and his running mate Sen. JD Vance.

    “Usually Republicans want to ban books, but now they are trying to shove this down our throats,” Kenyatta said.

    In a sign of how unpopular Project 20205 is with the public, Trump has disavowed the effort. Still, it was crafted by many leading conservatives who would likely hold influential positions in a future Trump administration.

    The book made its first appearance on Monday when Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow walked on stage and dropped the hefty tome on the top of the speaking lectern.

    Presidential grandsons stump for Harris

    Grandsons of former Presidents Jimmy Carter and John F. Kennedy cast Vice President Haris in the same image as their famous family members.

    “Kamala Harris carries my grandfather’s legacy,” said Jason Carter. “She knows what is right.”

    He said the 99-year-old former president wishes he could be in attendance. “His body may be weak tonight, but his spirit is stronger than ever,” Carter said. “My grandfather can’t wait to vote for Kamala Harris.”

    Jack Schlossberg, Kennedy’s grandson, said like when his grandfather was elected in 1960, “Once again, the torch has been passed to a new generation,” he said. “She believes in America like my grandfather did — that we do things not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”

    Patti LaBelle performs ‘You Are My Friend’

    The DNC crowd didn’t get James Taylor singing “You’ve Got a Friend” but they did get another music legend — R&B star Patti LaBelle — singing “You Are My Friend.”

    LaBelle sang the stirring number during a memorial segment as the proceedings began for the evening. “God bless America, Kamala Harris!” she called out at the end.

    This isn’t the first time at the DNC for LaBelle — she wowed the crowd two decades ago at the 2004 convention with her rendition of Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come.”

    Last month, LaBelle kicked off her 8065 Tour at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles — “80 years of life, 65 years in music.” And in June, she sang “Oh, People” on the White House lawn for President Joe Biden’s Juneteenth concert, joined by Gladys Knight among other artists.

    US singer and actress Patti LaBelle performs on the second day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 20, 2024. Vice President Kamala Harris will formally accept the party's nomination for president at the DNC which runs from August 19-22 in Chicago. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

    (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

    US singer and actress Patti LaBelle performs on the second day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on Aug. 20, 2024.

    Day 2 of the DNC has begun

    The second day of the convention has officially been gaveled in.

    Obama will make the case for Harris during his DNC address

    Former President Barack Obama will use his remarks tonight to make the case for Harris’ election and lay out the task before Democrats in the coming 10 weeks.

    That’s according to an Obama aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss his speech in advance. Obama will also make the case for the values of the party and nation he believes are at stake in the race against Trump.

    The speech comes as Obama plans to increase his political activity this fall to support Democrats up and down the ticket.

    No credible danger following bomb threat, Secret Service and Chicago PD report

    The U.S. Secret Service and Chicago Police Department found no credible dangers after checking into bomb threats made Tuesday at “a number of locations” in downtown Chicago where the Democratic National Convention is taking place.

    Law enforcement cleared the affected areas and are continuing to assess any reported threats.

    Day 2 speakers:

    • Jason Carter, grandson of former President Jimmy Carter
    • Jack Schlossberg, grandson of former President John F. Kennedy
    • State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, of Pennsylvania
    • Kyle Sweetser, former Trump voter
    • Stephanie Grisham, former Trump White House press secretary
    • Nabela Noor, content creator
    • Sen. Gary Peters, of Michigan
    • Kenneth Stribling, retired Teamster
    • Ana Navarro, television personality and political strategist
    • Sen. Chuck Schumer, of New York
    • Sen. Bernie Sanders, of Vermont
    • Gov. JB Pritzker, of Illinois
    • Ken Chenault, business executive
    • Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, of New Mexico
    • Angela Alsobrooks, U.S. Senate nominee in Maryland
    • Mayor John Giles, of Mesa, Arizona
    • Douglas Emhoff, second gentleman of the United States
    • Michelle Obama, former first lady of the United States
    • Former President Barack Obama

    Source link

  • DNC Day 1: Harris makes surprise appearance on stage; Biden delivers speech uniting party

    DNC Day 1: Harris makes surprise appearance on stage; Biden delivers speech uniting party

    The Democratic National Convention began on Monday in Chicago, with roughly 50,000 people expected to arrive in the Windy City. That includes thousands of anti-war activists demonstrating near the United Center.President Joe Biden was the headline speaker for the first evening. Later this week, Vice President Kamala Harris will officially accept the party’s nomination.Read live updates from DNC Day 1 below.Harris joins Biden onstage after DNC speech in which he says she’ll be a ‘historic president’Moments after Biden finished his speech, Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff walked on stage to hug the president and first lady Jill Biden. Other relatives soon followed, including Biden’s son Hunter. Harris hugged Biden and said something that made both react in a way that looked very personal.Biden: ‘Those protestors out in the street have a point’Biden acknowledged the protests outside the convention and inside the arena as he spoke, saying, “Those protestors out in the street have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides.”He reiterated his push to get Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire deal that would also see the release of hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7 in the attack that sparked the 10-month war. Biden recaps his White House accomplishmentsPresident Biden went through his White House highlights at the Democratic convention, trying to make the case for the lasting impact of his time in office.Many of his comments were familiar to those who have listened to past Biden remarks. He talked about more than 16 million jobs added under his watch, the investments in computer chip manufacturing, the bipartisan infrastructure law and the greater access to health care resources. Biden noted that investments made in new computer chip factories would enable workers to make six-figure salaries without needing a college degree.His goal had been to reframe people’s perspectives of his presidency, but those achievements that were supposed to anchor his reelection campaign never fully resonated with voters.Abandon Biden protesters unveil banner, only to have it wrestled awayA couple of protesters from the Abandon Biden movement unfurled a protest sign late Monday that read “STOP ARMING ISRAEL” in the Florida delegation section a few minutes after Biden began his speech. The group, which is pushing for third-party candidates, has been campaigning against Biden’s reelection campaign since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.Israel’s counterattack in Gaza has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, and devastated much of the territory. The war has plunged the territory of 2.3 million people into a humanitarian catastrophe, with aid groups now fearing an outbreak of polio.The sign was quickly wrestled away from the protesters and the lights in that section of the convention were turned off. Other convention goers responded to the protest by chanting “We love Joe” and holding up their banners in support of the president.President Biden welcomed to the stage with a five-minute standing ovationPresident Joe Biden came out to give his convention speech — only to be greeted with roughly five minutes worth of cheers, applause and chants of “Thank You, Joe.”“Thank you,” the president said repeatedly, as he took in the moment. The crowd in Chicago’s United Center held up signs with heart signs that said they loved him.“I love you all,” Biden said to a party that weeks earlier had worried about his ability to beat Donald Trump, causing the tough choice by him to forgo the nomination for Vice President Kamala Harris.Biden takes the stagePresident Joe Biden is delivering a speech, weeks after stepping down as the Democratic nominee and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. He is expected to tout his administration’s accomplishments and unite the party behind Harris.First lady, daughter help to introduce President Biden First lady Jill Biden in her speech to the Democratic National Convention Monday night recalled how President Joe Biden dug “deep into his soul” to decide not to seek reelection, drawing a parallel between the values of her husband and those of Vice President Kamala Harris. As she recalled moments when she had fallen in love again with her husband, Jill Biden said she saw it happen again when, weeks ago, “I saw him dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris.” Harris was in attendance during the speech and waved at Jill Biden at that moment from her box inside the arena as the crowd cheered. She recalled how her late son, Beau, worked with Harris while he was attorney general for Delaware and Harris, for California. “He told me at the dinner table one night, ‘Mom she’s special, someone to keep your eye on.’ And he was right. Joe and I know Kamala, we have seen her courage her determination and her leadership up close,” Jill Biden added. “Kamala and Tim (Walz), you will win.” Ashley Biden, Joe and Jill’s daughter, also spoke Monday night.”Joe Biden is the O.G. girl dad,” Ashley Biden said, following her mother. “And he wasn’t just a girl dad. I could see that he valued and trusted women. How he listened to his mother. How he believed his sister. Most of all, how he respected my mother’s career.”Democrats highlight stories of dangerous pregnancy, miscarriage and sexual abuseDemocrats made an emotional appeal to voters on the need for abortion rights, having people talk about their first-hand experiences with complicated pregnancies.Amanda and Josh Zurawski of Texas spoke about a tortured pregnancy in which there was a choice between the life of their daughter, Willow, and that of the mother. Kaitlyn Joshua of Louisiana said her state’s abortion restrictions meant she could not get the emergency room care she needed when she ultimately miscarried.And in a moment that left the convention room quiet, Hadley Duvall of Kentucky spoke openly about the sexual abuse that left her pregnant at 12, when she said she learned she had options other than keeping the pregnancy.Former President Trump calls the abortion bans “a beautiful thing,” Duvall said. “What is so beautiful about a child having to carry her parent’s child?”The convention gave Duvall a standing ovation for having survived the ordeal.Rep. Crocket: Harris is ‘the only candidate in this race who is capable of empathy’Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett, one of the Democrats’ most ardent firebrands in Congress, delivered a moment of vulnerability during her speech.“She’s the only candidate in this race who is capable of empathy,” Crockett said. Crockett recounted her early days in Congress when she said she was grappling with doubt and dissolution at the state of the House and the prospects of the job.“I was going through all of this when I visited the vice president’s residence for the first time,” Crockett recounted, when Harris, upon first meeting the freshman representative, asked, “What’s wrong?”Crockett said that she “immediately began crying” in front of the vice president, before she then had to hold back tears live on stage. “And the most powerful woman in the world wiped my tears and listened,” Crockett said to applause from the audience.“She then said among other things, ‘You are exactly where God wants you. Your district chose you because they believe in you and so do I,’” Crockett said.Rep. Clyburn labels Project 2025 ‘Jim Crow 2.0’Rep. Jim, Clyburn, the influential South Carolinan, received an enthusiastic welcome and chants of “Clyburn” at the Democrats’ convention before tallying through President Biden’s legislative record.Clyburn, a close Biden ally, said that the country owes the president “a great debt of gratitude.”But he took special praise for “one of the best decisions he made: selecting Kamala Haris as his vice president and endorsing her to succeed him.”Clyburn also singled out Project 2025, calling it “Jim Crow 2.0.”“Our great democracy has been tested and so has the basic goodness of the American people. But our resolve to remain a great country with freedom and justice for all will not falter,” said Clyburn, a veteran of the civil rights movement.Clinton: ‘When a barrier falls for one of us, it clears the way for all of us’Former Secretary of State Clinton saluted Harris for possibly breaking the “highest, hardest glass ceiling” to become America’s first woman president.Clinton was the Democratic nominee in 2016, but she lost that election to Trump. The former New York senator said it was “the honor of my life” to be the party’s nominee.“Together, we’ve put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling,” Clinton said. “On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our 47th president of the United States. Folks, my friends, when a barrier falls for one of us, it clears the way for all of us.”The focus on the nature of Harris’ historic candidacy could be key for turning out more women in key states that Democrats need if they hope to win in November.Convention chants ‘lock him up’ during Hilary Clinton speechHillary Clinton had a slam on Donald Trump that prompted the crowd at the Democratic convention to chant, “Lock him up,” a sly reference to the chorus of “Lock her up” that was repeated at Trump rallies about Clinton back in 2016.Clinton smiled at the irony that her remarks had prodded.“Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial,” she said. “When he woke up, he’d made his own kind of history: the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.” Hillary Clinton arrives to thunderous applauseHillary Clinton received an immediate standing ovation upon entering the stage on the Democratic convention’s first night. Clinton spent several moments waving at those assembled as cheers of “Hillary” echoed through the arena.“Wow, there’s a lot of energy in this room just like there is across the country. Something, something is happening in America. You can feel it,” Clinton said to cheers.Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says Harris ‘is working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza’New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered the first mention of the war in Gaza from the DNC stage.“And she is working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and bringing the hostages home,” Ocasio-Cortez said to cheers in the crowd.Ocasio-Cortez has been one of the most critical voices in Congress of the Biden administration’s policy on Israel-Palestine and has called for greater restrictions on military aid to Israel. But she and other progressives have also been in dialogue with the administration on its policy, which has caused her to face pushback from some on the hard left.United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain reveals ‘Trump is a scab’ T-shirtUnited Auto Workers President Shawn Fain called Kamala Harris a “fighter” for the working class and denounced Donald Trump as a “scab,” a term that applies to workers who cross picket lines and defy union actions.Fain’s remarks led to chants of “Trump’s a scab” by the crowd at the Democratic convention. “It’s getting hot in here, folks,” Fain said, referencing a song by musician Nelly, before removing his suit jacket to show a T-shirt that read, “Trump is a scab. Vote Harris.”The backing of the UAW could be crucial for Democrats seeking to erode Trump’s superior margins among white voters without college degrees who identify as blue-collar.Team USA basketball coach throws support behind HarrisGolden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spoke Monday night, getting applause after mentioning his role as coach of the U.S. men’s basketball team, which won gold at the Paris Olympics earlier this month.Kerr has been a supporter of the Biden administration and has previously spoken out about issues like reducing gun violence. Harris, who is from California, is also an avid Warriors fan.Harris makes surprise appearance on stageVice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on stage during the opening night of the DNC. She thanked President Joe Biden for his “historic leadership” and service. “Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation and for all you will continue to do. We are forever grateful to you,” Harris said. Looking toward November, Harris said people from all backgrounds will “come together and declare with one voice, as one people: we are moving forward.” Jason Isbell serenades the DNC with a pro-labor tuneWearing a tuxedo in a hue of Democratic blue, country and Americana singer-songwriter Jason Isbell sang his labor-celebrating “Something More Than Free” on the convention stage.Backed by the house band, Isbell took the stage with his Telecaster guitar, singing lyrics that included, “Sunday morning I’m too tired to go to church. I just thank God for the work,” in front of an image of a barn with an American flag painted on it.He ended with a shoutout to the delegation from his native Alabama.The 45-year-old singer and sometime actor — he had a major supporting role in Martin Scorcese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” last year — is from the community of Green Hill. He’s known for speaking out about liberal causes, and his willingness to spar with commenters, on social media.Project 2025 scrutinizedMichigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow tried to throw the book at Donald Trump — literally hoisting an oversized copy of “Project 2025” onto the lectern and quoting from portions of it.It was prop comedy on one of the highest political stages.“So we read it,” McMorrow said. “Whatever you think it might be, it is so much worse.”Trump, the former president, has publicly disavowed any interest in the policies outlined in Project 2025, but it’s a blueprint for a second Trump term that was put together by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.McMorrow said the ideas in the text would enable Trump to be a dictator who could fire civil servants and use the Justice Department to investigate political opponents.Union leaders line up behind HarrisDemocrats want to show voters that they’re with workers, drawing on labor union support for the opening night of the convention.“We are all in for Kamala Harris because Kamala Harris has always been all in for us,” said April Verrett, president of the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU.Verrett was among the group of union leaders who took to the stage to counter the courting of blue-collar workers by Trump, who invited the head of the Teamsters to speak at the Republican National Convention. Teamsters President Sean O’Brien was not among the union leaders speaking at the Democratic convention on Monday.Video below: Harris’ campaign rally highlights workers’ rights, union growthThe crowd waved “UNION YES!” signs as the leaders spoke. Most union households have backed Democrats, helping the party win in key states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in 2020.Liz Shuler, head of the AFL-CIO, said that Trump’s plans were “a CEO’s dream, but a worker’s nightmare.”Rep. Robert Garcia shares his family’s immigration storyCalifornia Rep. Robert Garcia delivered his family story of immigrating to the U.S. and becoming a citizen, seeking to paint a different vision of patriotism to that touted by the GOP.“I am a proud immigrant who came to the United States as a young child. We grew up poor, English was our second language and we often, like many immigrant families, struggled to get by,” Garcia said.Garcia called the day he became a citizen “the proudest day of my life.” He recounted his upbringing, which was at times characterized by hardship.“She believed in the American Dream,” Garcia said of his mother, who Garcia said “taught me to love this country.”“She taught me that real American patriotism is not about screaming and yelling ‘America First,’” but instead, “loving your country so much that you want to help the people in your country,” Garcia told the crowd. Democrats want to remind voters that the COVID-19 pandemic began during Trump’s presidencyIt’s been four years since the pandemic shut down the United States — and Democrats are trying to tie the crisis to Trump’s presidency.The convention showed a video montage of Trump commenting on the coronavirus pandemic as president, as the hall echoed with boos. It included a separate video featuring Rich Logis, a former Trump voter who rejected Trump over his handling of the pandemic. The Democrats noted that the economy recovered under President Biden as vaccinations allowed offices, schools and public spaces to reopen.“He took the COVID crisis and turned it into a catastrophe,” said Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill. “We can never let him be our president again.”Last month’s Republican convention largely eschewed mention of the pandemic, framing Trump’s presidency as a period of prosperity that was subsequently undone by the Biden administration.Video below: Why are COVID-19 cases rising? A doctor explainsPeggy Flanagan could be the first Native woman governor — if Harris is electedThe Democratic convention’s co-chair, Minnesota’s Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, could soon make history as the first Native woman to govern a state. The prospect led to cheers among the crowd, as it would depend on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz winning the vice presidency as Kamala Harris’ running mate.Flanagan is a citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe.She focused her remarks on electing Harris and Walz, saying, “He and Harris have spent their lives fighting for you, for your family, for your future.”Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson honoredThe opening of the Democratic convention recognized Jesse Jackson, the civil rights activist and Democratic presidential candidate in 1984 and 1988.Jackson, 82, entered the stage in a wheelchair, holding up both thumbs up in triumph to a cheering crowd. The ordained Baptist pastor did not speak to the convention.Multiple speakers gave shoutouts to Jackson, who was also the subject of a video broadcast at the event’s hall. The video noted that Vice President Harris was “standing on the shoulder of giants” such as Jackson.Night 1 of the DNC has begunThe Democratic National Convention has started with delegates still filtering into Chicago’s United Center.The gathering opened with remarks shortly after 6:30 p.m. central time by Minyon Moore, chair of the convention committee. Moore called President Biden, the evening’s main speaker, a true patriot.Jaime Harrison, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, noted to applause the historical moment in that he and Moore are both Black, as is the party’s nominee, Vice President Harris.

    CHICAGO —

    The Democratic National Convention began on Monday in Chicago, with roughly 50,000 people expected to arrive in the Windy City. That includes thousands of anti-war activists demonstrating near the United Center.

    President Joe Biden was the headline speaker for the first evening. Later this week, Vice President Kamala Harris will officially accept the party’s nomination.

    Read live updates from DNC Day 1 below.

    Harris joins Biden onstage after DNC speech in which he says she’ll be a ‘historic president’

    Moments after Biden finished his speech, Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff walked on stage to hug the president and first lady Jill Biden. Other relatives soon followed, including Biden’s son Hunter. Harris hugged Biden and said something that made both react in a way that looked very personal.

    Joe Raedle

    First daughter Ashley Biden, Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden onstage at the end of the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 19, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois.

    Biden: ‘Those protestors out in the street have a point’

    Biden acknowledged the protests outside the convention and inside the arena as he spoke, saying, “Those protestors out in the street have a point. A lot of innocent people are being killed on both sides.”

    He reiterated his push to get Israel and Hamas to agree to a cease-fire deal that would also see the release of hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7 in the attack that sparked the 10-month war.

    Biden recaps his White House accomplishments

    President Biden went through his White House highlights at the Democratic convention, trying to make the case for the lasting impact of his time in office.

    Many of his comments were familiar to those who have listened to past Biden remarks. He talked about more than 16 million jobs added under his watch, the investments in computer chip manufacturing, the bipartisan infrastructure law and the greater access to health care resources. Biden noted that investments made in new computer chip factories would enable workers to make six-figure salaries without needing a college degree.

    His goal had been to reframe people’s perspectives of his presidency, but those achievements that were supposed to anchor his reelection campaign never fully resonated with voters.

    Abandon Biden protesters unveil banner, only to have it wrestled away

    A couple of protesters from the Abandon Biden movement unfurled a protest sign late Monday that read “STOP ARMING ISRAEL” in the Florida delegation section a few minutes after Biden began his speech. The group, which is pushing for third-party candidates, has been campaigning against Biden’s reelection campaign since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

    Israel’s counterattack in Gaza has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, and devastated much of the territory. The war has plunged the territory of 2.3 million people into a humanitarian catastrophe, with aid groups now fearing an outbreak of polio.

    The sign was quickly wrestled away from the protesters and the lights in that section of the convention were turned off. Other convention goers responded to the protest by chanting “We love Joe” and holding up their banners in support of the president.

    President Biden welcomed to the stage with a five-minute standing ovation

    President Joe Biden came out to give his convention speech — only to be greeted with roughly five minutes worth of cheers, applause and chants of “Thank You, Joe.”

    “Thank you,” the president said repeatedly, as he took in the moment. The crowd in Chicago’s United Center held up signs with heart signs that said they loved him.

    “I love you all,” Biden said to a party that weeks earlier had worried about his ability to beat Donald Trump, causing the tough choice by him to forgo the nomination for Vice President Kamala Harris.

    Biden takes the stage

    President Joe Biden is delivering a speech, weeks after stepping down as the Democratic nominee and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. He is expected to tout his administration’s accomplishments and unite the party behind Harris.

    First lady, daughter help to introduce President Biden

    First lady Jill Biden in her speech to the Democratic National Convention Monday night recalled how President Joe Biden dug “deep into his soul” to decide not to seek reelection, drawing a parallel between the values of her husband and those of Vice President Kamala Harris.

    As she recalled moments when she had fallen in love again with her husband, Jill Biden said she saw it happen again when, weeks ago, “I saw him dig deep into his soul and decide to no longer seek reelection and endorse Kamala Harris.”

    Harris was in attendance during the speech and waved at Jill Biden at that moment from her box inside the arena as the crowd cheered.

    She recalled how her late son, Beau, worked with Harris while he was attorney general for Delaware and Harris, for California.

    “He told me at the dinner table one night, ‘Mom she’s special, someone to keep your eye on.’ And he was right. Joe and I know Kamala, we have seen her courage her determination and her leadership up close,” Jill Biden added. “Kamala and Tim (Walz), you will win.”

    Ashley Biden, Joe and Jill’s daughter, also spoke Monday night.

    “Joe Biden is the O.G. girl dad,” Ashley Biden said, following her mother. “And he wasn’t just a girl dad. I could see that he valued and trusted women. How he listened to his mother. How he believed his sister. Most of all, how he respected my mother’s career.”

    Democrats highlight stories of dangerous pregnancy, miscarriage and sexual abuse

    Democrats made an emotional appeal to voters on the need for abortion rights, having people talk about their first-hand experiences with complicated pregnancies.

    Amanda and Josh Zurawski of Texas spoke about a tortured pregnancy in which there was a choice between the life of their daughter, Willow, and that of the mother. Kaitlyn Joshua of Louisiana said her state’s abortion restrictions meant she could not get the emergency room care she needed when she ultimately miscarried.

    And in a moment that left the convention room quiet, Hadley Duvall of Kentucky spoke openly about the sexual abuse that left her pregnant at 12, when she said she learned she had options other than keeping the pregnancy.

    Former President Trump calls the abortion bans “a beautiful thing,” Duvall said. “What is so beautiful about a child having to carry her parent’s child?”

    The convention gave Duvall a standing ovation for having survived the ordeal.

    Rep. Crocket: Harris is ‘the only candidate in this race who is capable of empathy’

    Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett, one of the Democrats’ most ardent firebrands in Congress, delivered a moment of vulnerability during her speech.

    “She’s the only candidate in this race who is capable of empathy,” Crockett said. Crockett recounted her early days in Congress when she said she was grappling with doubt and dissolution at the state of the House and the prospects of the job.

    “I was going through all of this when I visited the vice president’s residence for the first time,” Crockett recounted, when Harris, upon first meeting the freshman representative, asked, “What’s wrong?”

    CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 19: Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 19, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Delegates, politicians, and Democratic party supporters are in Chicago for the convention, concluding with current Vice President Kamala Harris accepting her party's presidential nomination. The DNC takes place from August 19-22. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

    Chip Somodevilla

    Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois.

    Crockett said that she “immediately began crying” in front of the vice president, before she then had to hold back tears live on stage. “And the most powerful woman in the world wiped my tears and listened,” Crockett said to applause from the audience.

    “She then said among other things, ‘You are exactly where God wants you. Your district chose you because they believe in you and so do I,’” Crockett said.

    Rep. Clyburn labels Project 2025 ‘Jim Crow 2.0’

    Rep. Jim, Clyburn, the influential South Carolinan, received an enthusiastic welcome and chants of “Clyburn” at the Democrats’ convention before tallying through President Biden’s legislative record.

    Clyburn, a close Biden ally, said that the country owes the president “a great debt of gratitude.”

    But he took special praise for “one of the best decisions he made: selecting Kamala Haris as his vice president and endorsing her to succeed him.”

    Clyburn also singled out Project 2025, calling it “Jim Crow 2.0.”

    “Our great democracy has been tested and so has the basic goodness of the American people. But our resolve to remain a great country with freedom and justice for all will not falter,” said Clyburn, a veteran of the civil rights movement.

    Clinton: ‘When a barrier falls for one of us, it clears the way for all of us’

    Former Secretary of State Clinton saluted Harris for possibly breaking the “highest, hardest glass ceiling” to become America’s first woman president.

    Clinton was the Democratic nominee in 2016, but she lost that election to Trump. The former New York senator said it was “the honor of my life” to be the party’s nominee.

    “Together, we’ve put a lot of cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling,” Clinton said. “On the other side of that glass ceiling is Kamala Harris raising her hand and taking the oath of office as our 47th president of the United States. Folks, my friends, when a barrier falls for one of us, it clears the way for all of us.”

    The focus on the nature of Harris’ historic candidacy could be key for turning out more women in key states that Democrats need if they hope to win in November.

    CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 19: Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 19, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Delegates, politicians, and Democratic party supporters are in Chicago for the convention, concluding with current Vice President Kamala Harris accepting her party's presidential nomination. The DNC takes place from August 19-22. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

    Kevin Dietsch

    Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois.

    Convention chants ‘lock him up’ during Hilary Clinton speech

    Hillary Clinton had a slam on Donald Trump that prompted the crowd at the Democratic convention to chant, “Lock him up,” a sly reference to the chorus of “Lock her up” that was repeated at Trump rallies about Clinton back in 2016.

    Clinton smiled at the irony that her remarks had prodded.

    “Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial,” she said. “When he woke up, he’d made his own kind of history: the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions.”

    Hillary Clinton arrives to thunderous applause

    Hillary Clinton received an immediate standing ovation upon entering the stage on the Democratic convention’s first night. Clinton spent several moments waving at those assembled as cheers of “Hillary” echoed through the arena.

    “Wow, there’s a lot of energy in this room just like there is across the country. Something, something is happening in America. You can feel it,” Clinton said to cheers.

    Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says Harris ‘is working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza’

    New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez delivered the first mention of the war in Gaza from the DNC stage.

    “And she is working tirelessly to secure a cease-fire in Gaza and bringing the hostages home,” Ocasio-Cortez said to cheers in the crowd.

    Ocasio-Cortez has been one of the most critical voices in Congress of the Biden administration’s policy on Israel-Palestine and has called for greater restrictions on military aid to Israel. But she and other progressives have also been in dialogue with the administration on its policy, which has caused her to face pushback from some on the hard left.

    US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on August 19, 2024. Vice President Kamala Harris will formally accept the party's nomination for president at the DNC which runs from August 19-22 in Chicago. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

    ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS

    US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, on Aug. 19, 2024.

    United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain reveals ‘Trump is a scab’ T-shirt

    United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain called Kamala Harris a “fighter” for the working class and denounced Donald Trump as a “scab,” a term that applies to workers who cross picket lines and defy union actions.

    Fain’s remarks led to chants of “Trump’s a scab” by the crowd at the Democratic convention.

    WASHINGTON - AUGUST 19: Shawn Fain, President of the United Automobile Workers, speaks during the 2024 Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Monday, August 19, 2024. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

    Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

    Shawn Fain, President of the United Automobile Workers, speaks during the 2024 Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024.

    “It’s getting hot in here, folks,” Fain said, referencing a song by musician Nelly, before removing his suit jacket to show a T-shirt that read, “Trump is a scab. Vote Harris.”

    The backing of the UAW could be crucial for Democrats seeking to erode Trump’s superior margins among white voters without college degrees who identify as blue-collar.

    Team USA basketball coach throws support behind Harris

    Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spoke Monday night, getting applause after mentioning his role as coach of the U.S. men’s basketball team, which won gold at the Paris Olympics earlier this month.

    Kerr has been a supporter of the Biden administration and has previously spoken out about issues like reducing gun violence. Harris, who is from California, is also an avid Warriors fan.

    Harris makes surprise appearance on stage

    Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on stage during the opening night of the DNC. She thanked President Joe Biden for his “historic leadership” and service.

    “Thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation and for all you will continue to do. We are forever grateful to you,” Harris said.

    Looking toward November, Harris said people from all backgrounds will “come together and declare with one voice, as one people: we are moving forward.”

    Jason Isbell serenades the DNC with a pro-labor tune

    Wearing a tuxedo in a hue of Democratic blue, country and Americana singer-songwriter Jason Isbell sang his labor-celebrating “Something More Than Free” on the convention stage.

    Backed by the house band, Isbell took the stage with his Telecaster guitar, singing lyrics that included, “Sunday morning I’m too tired to go to church. I just thank God for the work,” in front of an image of a barn with an American flag painted on it.

    He ended with a shoutout to the delegation from his native Alabama.

    The 45-year-old singer and sometime actor — he had a major supporting role in Martin Scorcese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” last year — is from the community of Green Hill. He’s known for speaking out about liberal causes, and his willingness to spar with commenters, on social media.

    Project 2025 scrutinized

    Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow tried to throw the book at Donald Trump — literally hoisting an oversized copy of “Project 2025” onto the lectern and quoting from portions of it.

    It was prop comedy on one of the highest political stages.

    “So we read it,” McMorrow said. “Whatever you think it might be, it is so much worse.”

    Trump, the former president, has publicly disavowed any interest in the policies outlined in Project 2025, but it’s a blueprint for a second Trump term that was put together by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank.

    McMorrow said the ideas in the text would enable Trump to be a dictator who could fire civil servants and use the Justice Department to investigate political opponents.

    Union leaders line up behind Harris

    Democrats want to show voters that they’re with workers, drawing on labor union support for the opening night of the convention.

    “We are all in for Kamala Harris because Kamala Harris has always been all in for us,” said April Verrett, president of the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU.

    Verrett was among the group of union leaders who took to the stage to counter the courting of blue-collar workers by Trump, who invited the head of the Teamsters to speak at the Republican National Convention. Teamsters President Sean O’Brien was not among the union leaders speaking at the Democratic convention on Monday.

    Video below: Harris’ campaign rally highlights workers’ rights, union growth

    The crowd waved “UNION YES!” signs as the leaders spoke. Most union households have backed Democrats, helping the party win in key states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin in 2020.

    Liz Shuler, head of the AFL-CIO, said that Trump’s plans were “a CEO’s dream, but a worker’s nightmare.”

    Rep. Robert Garcia shares his family’s immigration story

    California Rep. Robert Garcia delivered his family story of immigrating to the U.S. and becoming a citizen, seeking to paint a different vision of patriotism to that touted by the GOP.

    “I am a proud immigrant who came to the United States as a young child. We grew up poor, English was our second language and we often, like many immigrant families, struggled to get by,” Garcia said.

    Garcia called the day he became a citizen “the proudest day of my life.” He recounted his upbringing, which was at times characterized by hardship.

    “She believed in the American Dream,” Garcia said of his mother, who Garcia said “taught me to love this country.”

    “She taught me that real American patriotism is not about screaming and yelling ‘America First,’” but instead, “loving your country so much that you want to help the people in your country,” Garcia told the crowd.

    Democrats want to remind voters that the COVID-19 pandemic began during Trump’s presidency

    It’s been four years since the pandemic shut down the United States — and Democrats are trying to tie the crisis to Trump’s presidency.

    The convention showed a video montage of Trump commenting on the coronavirus pandemic as president, as the hall echoed with boos. It included a separate video featuring Rich Logis, a former Trump voter who rejected Trump over his handling of the pandemic. The Democrats noted that the economy recovered under President Biden as vaccinations allowed offices, schools and public spaces to reopen.

    “He took the COVID crisis and turned it into a catastrophe,” said Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill. “We can never let him be our president again.”

    Last month’s Republican convention largely eschewed mention of the pandemic, framing Trump’s presidency as a period of prosperity that was subsequently undone by the Biden administration.

    Video below: Why are COVID-19 cases rising? A doctor explains

    Peggy Flanagan could be the first Native woman governor — if Harris is elected

    The Democratic convention’s co-chair, Minnesota’s Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, could soon make history as the first Native woman to govern a state. The prospect led to cheers among the crowd, as it would depend on Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz winning the vice presidency as Kamala Harris’ running mate.

    Flanagan is a citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe.

    She focused her remarks on electing Harris and Walz, saying, “He and Harris have spent their lives fighting for you, for your family, for your future.”

    CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 19: Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 19, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. Delegates, politicians, and Democratic party supporters are in Chicago for the convention, concluding with current Vice President Kamala Harris accepting her party's presidential nomination. The DNC takes place from August 19-22. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

    Chip Somodevilla

    Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois.

    Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson honored

    The opening of the Democratic convention recognized Jesse Jackson, the civil rights activist and Democratic presidential candidate in 1984 and 1988.

    Jackson, 82, entered the stage in a wheelchair, holding up both thumbs up in triumph to a cheering crowd. The ordained Baptist pastor did not speak to the convention.

    Multiple speakers gave shoutouts to Jackson, who was also the subject of a video broadcast at the event’s hall. The video noted that Vice President Harris was “standing on the shoulder of giants” such as Jackson.

    Night 1 of the DNC has begun

    The Democratic National Convention has started with delegates still filtering into Chicago’s United Center.

    The gathering opened with remarks shortly after 6:30 p.m. central time by Minyon Moore, chair of the convention committee. Moore called President Biden, the evening’s main speaker, a true patriot.

    Jaime Harrison, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, noted to applause the historical moment in that he and Moore are both Black, as is the party’s nominee, Vice President Harris.

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  • Tim Walz: ‘I Have Killed, And I Will Kill Again’

    Tim Walz: ‘I Have Killed, And I Will Kill Again’

    NEWPORT BEACH, CA—Refuting accusations of stolen valor by claiming his hands were permanently stained with the blood of his enemies, Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz told reporters Monday that he had killed before and would kill again. “To those who have attempted to discredit my military record, let me just say that I have, on numerous occasions, ended a man’s life, and I will do it again,” said the Minnesota governor, who explained that while his killings might not have taken place on the battlefield, they were great in number and included both foreign and domestic targets. “I’d like to ask Sen. Vance—have you watched the last glint of life leave a frightened man’s eyes as you tightened your grip around his soft neck? Because I have. And I won’t stop.” Walz went on to state that a person didn’t have to go to war to snuff out a life, a lesson his opponents would soon learn very slowly and very painfully.

    R. Kelly Petitions Supreme Court To Watch Him Pee

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